Report: Obama’s EPA Threatens to Knock Out Nearly 10% Of the US Power Supply
The report comes from the Institute for Energy Research, and comes complete with a map, below the block quote:
Currently, EPA is leading the Obama administration’s assault on coal with a number of new regulations. Two of the most important are the “transport rule” and the “toxics rule” (Utility MACT). Combined, these regulations will systematically reduce access to affordable and reliable energy. According to our report:
- EPA Regulations Will Close At Least 28 GW of Generating Capacity
EPA modeling and power-plant operator announcements show that EPA regulations will close at least 28 gigawatts (GW) of American generating capacity, the equivalent of closing every power plant in the state of North Carolina or Indiana. Also, 28 GW is 8.9 percent of our total coal generating capacity.
- Current Retirements Almost Twice As High As EPA Predicted
EPA’s power plant-level modeling projected that Agency regulations would close 14.5 GW of generating capacity. That number rises to 28 GW when including additional announced retirements related to EPA rules, almost twice the amount EPA projected. Moreover, this number will grow as plant operators continue to release their EPA compliance plans.
- Announced and Projected Retirements Higher Than Worst Case Scenarios
Analysis by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the entity in charge of grid reliability, projected that EPA’s Transport Rule and Toxics Rule would close 20 GW of generating capacity. This list indicates that at least 28 GW will retire. EPA’s Transport Rule and Toxics Rule push U.S. energy security past the NERC worst case scenario.
- EPA’s New Regulations Will Hit States Trying To Get Back On Their Feet
Current announcements and EPA projections indicate that EPA regulations have a dramatic impact on states reeling from economic hardship.
- Ohio: 2,894 MW retired, 8.6% of state total generating capacity.
- West Virginia: 2,448 MW retired, 14% of state total generating capacity.
- Indiana: 2,168 MW retired, 7.5% of state total generating capacity.
- Tennessee: 1,376 MW retired, 6.2% of state total generating capacity.
- Missouri: 1,325 MW retired, 6.3% of state total generating capacity.
- Wisconsin: 902 MW retired, 5% of state total generating capacity.
Notice anything? No, I’m saying that red and swing states bear the brunt, though we do. New York and California also take some power hits. I’m just noticing how asinine it is to force all these plants offline or at the very least to undergo expensive unnecessary renovations. The occupying army is going to be mighty confused when they can’t mooch off the local McDonald’s to charge up their iPhones because the lights are out. Or get charged for the privilege of using someone else’s now more expensive electricity.
In his presser yesterday, President Obama tried setting up opposition to his regulations as some sort of straw man false argument:
OBAMA: “The answer we’re getting right now is: Well, we’re going to roll back all these Obama regulations… Does anybody really think that that is going to create jobs right now and meet the challenges of a global economy?”
As I noted earlier today, even the AP smacked him for that one:
THE FACTS: Well, yes, some think it will. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce last month submitted a jobs proposal to Obama that included a call to ease regulations on businesses. It specifically called for streamlining environmental reviews on major construction projects and to delay the issuance of some potentially burdensome regulations until the economy and employment have improved. In the letter, Chamber President Thomas Donohue also called on Congress to pass legislation that would require congressional approval of major regulations. The chamber did not indicate how many jobs such regulatory changes could create, but it said: “Immediate regulatory relief is required in order to begin moving $1 trillion-$2 trillion in accumulated private capital off of the sidelines and into business expansion.”
It’s obvious to anyone but the man in the White House, that you can regulate something right out of existence. He seems to be trying to do that to energy, without which our economy will not function.
If you like your 9.1% unemployment, you’ll get to keep it. And add to it.
The energy companies should shut down all coal fired plants for 24 hours and then say this is what will happen if the EPA has it’s way
Obama’s so far out of his depth the fish have lights on their foreheads. Can we just call a mulligan on the ’08 elections?
How very interesting. As mentioned before MD is cobalt blue. Our Constellation Energy is in the process of being bought out by a Chicago Company (evidently put together by Emanual and Axelrod) named Exelon. Our Governor last session terminated depletion allowances for coal mines and delayed fracking in favor of a 2 year committee review. In the meantime he has accomplished a couple solar installations and 2 small windmill operations. He has aspirations of a major offshore wind installation, via government investment assistance, next session (which I will be bitterly complaining about again … 25 years of about $10 a month added ratepayer costs). In my book its a prime candidate for crony capitalism. We are very much a little Chicago here. In any event … Maryland looks like somehow the EPA missed us. Any guesses as to why?
IER’s funding has come from the Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation, a trust set up by private energy company Koch Industries. It is run by a former CEO/Board of Directors from Enron and headquartered in Houston. Really? That’s your independent legitimate source?
Many of the energy generating units that will be taken off the grid in the next two to three years were inefficient coal-fired units that were announced as being retired during the Bush Administration. It is just now, power companies can blame EPA, not do upgrades and show their shareholders that it isn’t there fault. Would love to see someone look into THAT source.
EIA reports that there has been a 9.1-percent decline in industrial demand for coal-fire generated electricity, which fell to the lowest level since 1987, accounted for most of the decline in overall electricity consumption. Oh by the way, 8.9 percent of the electricity capacity will be retired in 2012 in your article. Coincidence? If there isn’t a demand, some of the old plants will be retired to save electric generating companies some money. It is still all about cash to the power companies. Not regulation. They always adapt to regulation but they will not want to lose money.
Verily Darron..considering we have the largest known reserves of NG and Coal in the WORLD…. I personally think it insane to close down the coal plants…unless they’re being replaced with Nukes.
And we should take your word for any of this why?
Ahh did we miss the various articles in the last 6months to a year that said that very thing? That we have the largest known reserves of Oil, Natural Gas and Coal in the world? I’m on a new computer so give me a moment while I find at least one of the links I used to have saved on the old machine.
Hmm can’t find that specific one I was thinking of that covered all 3 in one shotbut I have several others.
Estimated Coalbed NG reserves
http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/oil-gas/FutureSupply/CoalBedNG/CoalBed_NG.html
and that’s just for the coalbed NG…doesn’t include the NG in it’s own pockets or in with Oil like say up in Alaska in the NPRA fields.
http://www.energyandcapital.com/articles/alaska-oil-reserves/1326
Oil Shale reserves:
http://dailyreckoning.com/oil-shale-reserves/
http://seekingalpha.com/article/292408-utica-shale-oil-play-update
There’s a known 104 BILLION barrels of crude reserves in [that I've been able to find articles on] in Alaska and offshore on the atlantic, pacific and down here in the gulf coast. There’s an estimated [the oil companies 'believe' could be more could be less but still nothing to sneeze at.] another 86 billion barrels that are as yet too deep for them to tap.
But by all means..don’t take my word for it. *shrug* research, read and make your own conclusions.
I should note that it’s nearly 10% of the US COAL capacity, not total electrical generation capacity.