By Stephanie Roker

May 11, 2018 - On May 10, The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) filed comments with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding the resilience of the bulk power system that serves wholesale electricity markets in the US.

The ACCCE comments include a study by Quanta Technology that uses the 13 state PJM region to illustrate the risks that premature coal retirements and lack of fuel security pose for the electricity grid. Quanta’s analysis shows that the PJM grid could violate reliability criteria if coal retirements increase and/or supplies of natural gas are interrupted.

“Fuel security is essential for a resilient electricity grid, and the nation’s coal fleet provides a very high degree of fuel security,” said Paul Bailey, ACCCE president and CEO. “However, almost 40% of the coal fleet that operated less than a decade ago is retiring, in part because electricity markets do not value fuel security. For that reason, we are urging FERC to take steps immediately to recognize the value of fuel security before even more of the coal fleet retires prematurely.” 

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