America’s Power

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on June 11 proposed to repeal the agency’s Carbon Rule. America’s Power president and CEO Michelle Bloodworth released the following statement: “America’s Power commends EPA for proposing to repeal the Carbon Rule. The repeal will make our nation’s electricity system more reliable and electricity prices more affordable, and enable […]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted nearly 70 coal-fired U.S. power plants a two-year exemption from federal requirements to reduce emissions of toxic chemicals such as mercury, arsenic and benzene. It’s another move by the Trump administration to boost the U.S. coal industry, measures that include encouraging electric utilities to continue operating coal-fired power plants that might otherwise be closed.

Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a 1,020-page rule to control carbon dioxide emissions from existing coal-fired power plants and new natural gas-fired power plants. The rule is part of the administration’s plan to shut down coal-fired power plants in the U.S. and impose its will on the nation’s electricity system. This is the […]

Washington, D.C. – America’s Power President and CEO Michelle Bloodworth issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Ozone Transport Rule (also known as the Good Neighbor Rule): “We are reviewing the final Ozone Transport Rule to determine whether EPA has addressed the concerns that we and many others raised that more coal […]

Washington, D.C. – In a recent letter to PJM Interconnection, America’s Power explained that near-term coal plant retirements could be three times greater than PJM anticipates in its recent white paper, thereby increasing the risk of electricity shortages.  The PJM paper examines the disconnect between increasing coal retirements, growing electricity demand, and the slow addition […]

Washington, D.C. – A new report , “Operation of the U.S. Power Generation Fleet During Winter Storm Elliott,” analyzes the performance of traditional power sources and renewable energy during the December 2022 storm that brought record-setting low temperatures and high electricity demand to most of the country. Coal, natural gas, and fuel oil provided 94 […]

So far, utilities have announced plans to retire some 93,000 MW (nameplate) of coal—almost half the existing coal fleet—by the end of this decade. Coal retirements combined with increasing penetration of

America’s Power Statement on The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s 2022 Long-Term Reliability Assessment Washington, D.C. – America’s Power president and CEO Michelle Bloodworth issued the following statement in response to the release of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s 2022 Long-Term Reliability Assessment: “We commend the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) for issuing […]

California seems to face the prospect of electricity shortages almost every summer. For example, Californians were asked to voluntarily reduce their electricity consumption for 10 days in a row in August. A few weeks later, the state’s grid operator issued another emergency alert: “Conserve energy now to protect public health and safety … Power interruptions […]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is readying a regulatory sweep targeting more stringent limits on traditional pollutants that could accelerate coal power plant closures. A coal trade group estimates that even without new rules, 86 GW of coal generation is slated to retire by 2030. While the U.S. Supreme Court in June curtailed the EPA’s […]

Washington, D.C. – America’s Power President and CEO Michelle Bloodworth issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plans to use new regulations to shut down coal-fired power plants, as part of the administration’s efforts to decarbonize the power sector.  The announcement follows last month’s decision by the Supreme Court that placed constraints […]

Washington, D.C. – Following the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) release of the results of its 2022-2023 annual Planning Resource Auction (PRA) indicating electric capacity shortfalls in both the north and central regions of MISO, America’s Power issued the following statement by Michelle Bloodworth, President and CEO: “MISO’s recent capacity auction shows that it might […]

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a proposal from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) to give voting rights to the recently created Affiliate Sector within MISO’s Advisory Committee.  By providing a vote to the Affiliate Sector, currently made up by entities representing coal producers, electricity generators, railroads, barge operators and […]

At the urging of the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) and the California Energy Commission (CEC), on July 1, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) announced its intent to procure

The U.S. Senate on Nov. 30 confirmed Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) nominees Allison Clements and Mark Christie, filling out all five seats at the helm of the federal energy regulator with a bipartisan panel for the first time in nearly two years.  Clements, a Democrat, replaces former Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur for a term that […]

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a proposal from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) to add a new affiliate sector to its Advisory Committee that will provide formal representation for the coal sector, thus enabling coal interests to provide their perspective on important policy issues as part of MISO’s […]

The coal power industry acknowledges that to play a stable role in future power markets, it needs to modernize, and perhaps even overhaul its long-held status as a “conventional generator.” Could new

On Dec. 19, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) directed PJM Interconnection to dramatically expand its Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) to nearly all state-subsidized capacity resources, including renewables backed by state portfolio standards. It’s the latest of a series of dramatic revisions to the grid operator’s rule, which essentially functions to provide a minimum […]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule to formally replace the Obama administration’s controversial Clean Power Plan (CPP).  Like the CPP, the June 19–issued final ACE rule will regulate greenhouse gases (GHGs), and it will be founded firmly on the agency’s 2009 Endangerment Finding. However, the ACE rule focuses […]