"A Challenge From Climate Change Regulations"

An electric utility industry group this week released a report warning that EPA's "Clean Power Plan" to address climate change could hurt grid reliability. The report offers ammunition for the plan's opponents -- especially Republicans from coal-mining and coal-burning states. But a number of critics say the report's analysis is flawed.

"As President Obama prepares to unveil his climate change regulations on coal-fired power plants, the nation’s electric utilities are preparing to transform the system that keeps the lights on in America. But some companies fear that in the process, the lights may go out.

This summer, the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to release a final set of rules aimed at forcing electric power companies — the nation’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions — to cut them 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. The Obama administration has consistently used 2005 as a baseline year for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

The ambitious rules hope to remake the nation’s electricity system by closing hundreds of heavily polluting coal plants while rapidly expanding the use of natural gas plants, wind and solar power. Officials at electric utilities say that as they make that transition — taking the nation’s largest but dirtiest source of electricity offline and replacing it with a mix of cleaner power sources — they may face power failures."

Coral Davenport reports for the New York Times April 22, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

Infographic: State-by-state reliance on coal (New York Times)

"EPA’s Clean Power Plan and Reliability Assessing NERC’s Initial Reliability Review" (Advanced Energy Economy/The Brattle Group)

"Energy Experts: WSJ Wrong, EPA Climate Plan Will Keep The Lights On" (Media Matters)

"Electric Reliability and the Clean Power Plan: Perspectives of a Former Regulator" (EDF/Cheryl Roberto)

"AEE: NERC Clean Power Plan Report Flawed And Outdated" (Fierce Energy)

"Sorry, But the Sky (and the Electricity Power Grid) Is Not Falling" (US News/Jeff Nesbit)

"NERC's Report on Clean Power Plan Deeply Flawed, But the Lights Will Stay On" (NRDC Switchboard/John Moore)

"Another Misleading Study on the Clean Power Plan: NERC Distorts Reality with False Premise and Assumptions" (Union of Concerned Scientists/Mike Jacobs)

"US EPA Climate Rule Could Drive Significant Growth in Gas Power: NERC" (Platts)

"NERC: EPA’s Clean Power Rule Could Transform Coal Power Use" (Power Magazine)

"Potential Reliability Impacts of EPA’s Proposed Clean Power Plan" (North American Electric Reliability Corporation)

"Time and Flexibility: Keys to Ensuring Reliable, Affordable Electricity" (EPA/Janet McCabe)