December 28, 2022 - America’s Coal Associations issued the following statement in response to the release of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s 2022 Long-Term Reliability Assessment:

“NERC’s annual assessment is clear – majority of America’s electrical grid faces risk of resource shortfall through 2027 thanks to a rapid retirement of America’s coal fleet and dependence on intermittent power sources such as wind and solar. Dispatchable resources like coal are five to six times more dependable than wind and twice as dependable as solar. Given NERC’s mission to assure the effective and efficient reduction of risks to the reliability and security of the grid, everyone, including both state and federal officials, must take these warnings seriously. 

“Americas Coal Associations representing 381 thousand American Jobs and $261 Billion dollars in economic activity join NERC in urging utility commissioners, governors, and state legislators to pause coal retirements until grid operators have identified and valued all reliability attributes. If our nation’s utility commissioners continue to subscribe to Europe’s failed energy policies, then Americans can expect the same dark and costly consequences our friends overseas are facing today.” 

BACKGROUND

The following State Coal Associations and Groups have signed on to the above response:

Last Friday, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation(NERCE) issued their 2022 Long-Term Reliability Assessment which identifies energy and capacity risks that underscore the need for reliability to be a top priority for resource and system planners in North America as the energy transition unfolds. The assessment concludes that planners and operators of the grid must increasingly account for different characteristics and performance of resources being brought online during the energy transition.

To view NERC’s 2022 Long-Term Reliability Assessment Report, click here.