The President's Misguided Try To Save Old Energy

President Trump orders Energy Department to stop coal retirements; The memo apparently wants to freeze endangered coal, nuclear contracts for two years.

Megan Geuss, June 1, 2018 (Ars Technica)

“…[A White House memo to Energy Department Secretary Perry proposed using “immediate steps"] to prevent coal plants from early closure…[It reported argued Secretary Perry could use] a wartime rule called the Defense Production Act to bail out failing coal and nuclear plants…[by requiring] grid operators to buy power or electric generation capacity from a list of pre-determined power plants for two years…During that time, the DOE would conduct a study of vulnerabilities in the US power grid system. The justification for using the Defense Production Act would be that keeping unprofitable power plants running is a matter of national security until the two-year vulnerability study is complete…[The memo argues that “fuel-secure plants” have retired and are retiring and] are being replaced by natural gas and renewable power generation that is not secure or resilient…[Under White House orders, Secretary Perry had previously proposed that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission take action to protect coal and nuclear plants but the commission concluded earlier this year that there wasn't sufficient evidence to take such action]…” click here for more

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