America’s Green Transition Sparks Power Grid Instability

The U.S. might want to reconsider its energy transition after a surge in decommissioning fossil fuel power plants has outpaced new clean energy generation capacity, which has sparked the worst energy crisis in nearly five decades, one that is fraught with skyrocketing electricity prices and heightened risk of grid instability.

Power grids nationwide attempted to build new clean energy power generation without investing enough in conventional sources. Decarbonization trends on the grid have jeopardized energy security.

Grid operators have warned in the sweltering summer heat that blackouts are needed to rebalance supply and demand.

WSJ noted the proposed new legislation by Democrats to substantially reduce grid emissions in a $369 billion climate bill has been pitched to stabilize the grid but could take years to come to fruition.

“By a wide margin, this legislation will be the greatest pro-climate legislation ever passed by Congress,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. “This legislation fights the climate crisis with the urgency the situation demands and puts the U.S. on a path to roughly 40% emissions reductions by 2030, all while creating new good-paying jobs in the near and long-term.”

The deal would accelerate wind and solar farm projects and add large-scale batteries to the grid. Expanding green energy sources sounds great but doesn’t address the current crisis. – READ MORE