Here’s a dirty secret: The North American Electric Reliability Corp. projects that more homes will have blackouts over the next decade. That’s why President Trump’s energy executive orders have arrived not a moment too soon.
When blackouts occur, people can’t cook, use lights and heat, or recharge computers or cell phones. For people in frail health, interruptions can be fatal, especially in winter. Americans learned from winter storm Uri in Texas in 2021, which caused 246 deaths, that lights must stay on and houses must be kept warm, or people die.
The grid’s weakness stems from surging energy demand and planned closures of numerous power plants. Energy demand is skyrocketing as companies build more data centers and artificial intelligence applications.
At the same time, Inflation Reduction Act tax credits skew investment toward intermittent wind and solar power. But applications for new baseload power, which operates around the clock—coal, natural ga,s and nuclear—are lagging.
U.S. Energy Dominance Will Force the End of the Global Net Zero Fiasco
On his first day in office, Mr. Trump called for reversing President Biden’s anti-energy agenda with multiple executive orders.
Mr. Trump withdrew America from the Paris Agreement, which required costly, unreliable wind and solar power. This will save trillions of dollars, decrease electricity and transportation costs, and allow people worldwide to develop their own natural resources, including fossil fuel resources.
The president called for increased development of rare earth minerals, elimination of the electric vehicle mandate, and development of energy sources readily abundant on U.S. soil: coal and natural gas. Americans can choose which cars and appliances to buy, abandoning electrification incentives.
The president temporarily halted the leasing and permitting of all federal wind energy, which consistently overpromises and underdelivers at the expense of U.S. taxpayers.
Finally, the president ended the Biden administration’s restrictions on energy resource development in Alaska.
These are wise decisions. The government must take immediate action if America wants to avoid the North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s projected blackouts.
The organization’s report states, “Less overall capacity … is being added to the system than what was projected and needed to meet future demand.” It predicts that 10 of the 20 regional assessment areas that divide the North American power grid are at elevated risk. Blackouts may occur in extreme weather conditions within the next four years. This is a clear warning, and Americans should be concerned.
The North American Electric Reliability Corp. is particularly concerned about the stability of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which operates the power grid in portions of 15 states in the Midwest and South. The report warns of energy shortfalls even at normal peak conditions. More than half the power grid is anticipated to be at elevated risk in the next four years.
We Must Move Fast To Avert a National Electricity Crisis
Energy droughts are more likely during high-demand times, including during extreme weather such as a winter storm or a polar vortex. Electricity demand soars, but renewable energy is dependent on the sun shining and the wind blowing, and these sources are not reliable.
Mr. Trump’s changes to energy policy will help reverse the North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s disturbing forecast. By prioritizing the development of readily abundant energy sources on U.S. soil, halting federal wind energy, and unleashing Alaska’s energy resource development, he will reduce incentives for unreliable wind and solar and raise incentives for coal and natural gas power plants. These executive actions will help stabilize the power grid and reduce the likelihood of its failure.
Biden-era regulations mandated electric cars, stoves, and water heaters and required power plants to close if they could not bury 95% of their carbon emissions. The combination of artificially induced electricity demand and the required closures of power plants would have caused blackouts and deaths. Let us hope this disaster has been permanently averted.
Americans depend on electricity. People want to be sure of lights and climate control when the next winter storm or heat wave comes. America has plenty of power. All we have to do is use it.
This piece originally appeared in The Washington Times.
Diana Furchtgott-Roth is Director of the Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment and the Herbert and Joyce Morgan Fellow in Energy and Environmental Policy at The Heritage Foundation. She is an Oxford-educated economist, a frequent guest on TV and radio shows, and a columnist for Forbes.
Reprinted with permission from The Heritage Foundation – By Diana Furchtgott-Roth
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
Overall, the Grid system needs to be updated and expanded safely and quickly. It needs to upgrade its protection against foreign incursion and possible sabotage and local attacks by the adversary. Pres. Trump has started in the right direction but there is much work to be done to safeguard the Grid.
This article was so refreshing to read. At last, a President is working for the people instead of the woke green energy folks. I am so happy that President Trump has put America FIRST!!
Thank God for DJT and COMMON SENSE returning to the White House!!! Biden and Harris did all they could to destroy our country with STUPID, America-last tactics. President Trump will bring the USA back to energy independence, the sooner the better. As Max posted, there’s much work to be done, and there are also the liberal judges who will impede progress.
Part of a long term solution should include eliminating federal funding of colleges that poison young minds into believing modern life and the energy it requires is killing the planet. This indoctrination produces graduates in need of deprogramming. Reducing this will pay great dividends.
People don’t want e vehicles. They know there is no power available for them, everywhere. They blow up in cold winter months. Are costly to buy and maintain. Every 5 years you need a new battery. Making everything electric as a mandate but not have the capacity to have them work. Is progressive thinking. It looks good on paper but not in practice. Look at Germany they are having to de industrialize their country. For electricity cost 4 times as much as here in the states. They stopped nuclear power and gas powered electric plants. According to Brussels edict. But have nothing in its place. Great work you guys. Trump is on the right track. The man is hitting all the right spots that need to be addressed. The Biden regime broke it and Trump will fix it. The dems, oh they go whining to the courts. Trump can’t do this and Trump can’t do that. While they did worst things to America. Saving money because of fraud waste and abuse. Trump can’t do that!! they scream. Yes he can. He is the president and it’s not the dems money nor congress it’s the people’s money. And he is auditing the books for us. For we all know there is fraud waste and abuse in every sector of the government.
Now Trump has to direct cities and towns and the various states which have mandated energy rules such as: no more natural gas line installations in the town [new home must be electric];no more gas-fired hot water heaters or oil-fired furnaces, etc. Insanity rules.
Proud to American and have President whose only regard is safety and well-being of The American People!
Harden the grid from EMP and large solar events ! At least have a plan on how to replace the large transformers mostly made in China.
I found it annoying that this article keeps saying “Mr Trump”instead of President Trump. What’s with that?
For years the grid had to be updated and here we are. We gave millions to Ukraine and gave away the house. We really need to take care of our country and our people.
One aspect of the issues with the grid pertains to the actual equipment. In Texas when the cold snap hit, the equipment failures were “in your face” as contributors to the loses. For the past ten plus years Texas stood with a mandate to upgrade and modernize equipment, much of which was long past it’s prime. The industry drug its feet and our congress basically took the “manana” approach. When it stops raining the roof stops leaking, so why fix it. Plenty of dances were danced and the problems were not fixed, not even attended to. It is no better today, perhaps even worse since the equipment in question is still the same old stuff that was not designed to handle the work loads of our modern need. It will take billions to make this right and that’s the hangup. Meanwhile, potential terrorist activity could put us all in blackout mode by simply attacking a primary energy node and shutting down power to millions. Interdependence of grids invites this kind of disaster…..it’s like one of those domino set ups with no stop gap….once it starts you cannot stop it. One advantage Texas has is that it is not directly connected to the grid outside of the state. Nationwide our grid is weak and vulnerable and even at the federal level people jerk us around so we can sit in the dark, suffer through brown out and even lose our lives. Inaction costs. The last infrastructure bill (circa Biden) was a lie and we have failing grids, highways, bridges, dams and utilities that fall short as proof. Until our elected officials get off their duffs and stop playing games, we will keep what we have…inadaquate , weak, vulnerable systems bound to fail. And we cannot ignore the system that moves natural gas across the country. We have all driven past those facilities with pipes sticking up, ready to be taken out by someone with a device, a truck or the like, with little more than a fence to protect the site. And how many dams do we have that have little to no security? Can you spell d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r?
Biden was an idiot, and all of his policies were totally detrimental to the United States.
Infrastructure or the lack of it is the result of government using environmental agencies to create mountains of red tape to prevent any new power plants from being built. This narrow minded thinking which mandated electric vehicles without adequate electricity supply is like giving children battery operated toys but batteries are not included. Electric everything is still being rammed down the throats of Californians with no increase of electricity, only energy costs. To make matters worse, energy cut backs including electric car charging brought about by adding more demands on a shrinking undersized system.
Once again, an area of public interest that would benefit from a voice of reason from a media reporting on the reality of energy reality. Unfortunately we do not have that from the main media.
Hopefully re-establishing our energy resources, and the need to bring back manufacturing to the United States will give many jobs.
Manufacturing costs may be higher (instead of foreign “sweat shop/child labor), but the consumer higher prices will keep the supply chain going and with the increase of productivity of our own labor force, our children and grandchildren may have a chance at home ownership!
HAS THE ‘DRILL BABY DRILL’ BEGUN?
“Renewable Energy” resources that are “stylish, “woke”, and “hip” are not sufficient to keep up with our demand curve. This is because our infrastructure requires constant power.. which means fossil and nuclear power, as these can operate for extended periods (especially nuclear), and are not intermittent. Weather- dependent power (solar and wind) is unrelable and costly.
When I was looking to buy a home about 10 years ago, I was adamant about having gas stove and gas water heater. Thankfully my new home was built with these qualities. It still has electric thermostat and electric lighting. My electric and gas service is billed by one company. The quantity of the electric is about SIX TIMES greater than the gas. Honestly, why has anyone ever thought electric to be more efficient? Nuclear power will be great when they make that available. Then my power bill will drop!
Modernize
Go Nuclear
Good news, and I hope that Trump is also working on preventing cyberattacks to shut down our power system. That is a huge worry to USA in my opinion. The lawsuits against the power companies every time there is a wildfire is going to be harmful in the long run, as they will turn power off rather that get sued . And Trump is definitely a good example of a person who believes in lawyers & lawsuits, so that does not help our nation.