The EPA would risk reliable electric power


CSA Z463 Electrical Maintenance -

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 6 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$249
Coupon Price:
$199
Reserve Your Seat Today
As the Wall Street Journal noted in an editorial earlier this week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency "continues to claim that its regulatory agenda won't degrade U.S. electric reliability.

"The reality is that the EPA's own staffers are - or used to be worried, and their political superiors have erased the warning."

The EPA, the newspaper said, "is trying to rush out a new utility rule that on paper will reduce mercury and other emissions but is really designed to close coal-fired power plants."

Apparently, without concern for the public.

The agency released its utility rule proposal in May.

It contained no expressions of concern about what the rule would do to the price or reliability of coal-fired power, or to the consumers, businesses and jobs that depend on it.

And because the proposal includes no reference to such concerns, the Journal said, "as a technical and legal matter, issues that are excluded from the Federal Register mean that the public is denied the opportunity to meaningfully comment on them."

But some staffers expressed concern about reliability even before the utility rule was formally proposed.

As the Wall Street Journal noted in an editorial earlier this week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency "continues to claim that its regulatory agenda won't degrade U.S. electric reliability. "The reality is that the EPA's own staffers are - or used to be worried, and their political superiors have erased the warning."

The EPA, the newspaper said, "is trying to rush out a new utility rule that on paper will reduce mercury and other emissions but is really designed to close coal-fired power plants."

Apparently, without concern for the public.

The agency released its utility rule proposal in May.

It contained no expressions of concern about what the rule would do to the price or reliability of coal-fired power, or to the consumers, businesses and jobs that depend on it.

And because the proposal includes no reference to such concerns, the Journal said, "as a technical and legal matter, issues that are excluded from the Federal Register mean that the public is denied the opportunity to meaningfully comment on them."

But some staffers expressed concern about reliability even before the utility rule was formally proposed.

Investigators plowing through hundreds of thousands of pages of the agency's electronic documents found a 934-page draft that said the EPA "is aware that concerns have been expressed by some, even in advance of this proposed rule, that this regulation may detrimentally impact the reliability of the electric grid."

The draft says "sources integral to reliable operation" - federalese for coal-fired power plants - could be forced to shut down, and that this "could result in localized reliability problems."

The draft "strongly encourages" transmission operators and state regulators to begin planning "as soon as possible" for "potential retired units." It recommended "transmission upgrades, targeted demand-side management strategies and construction of new generation."

The EPA contends it needs no more time to consider the impact of its rule - the most expensive in agency history - and could impose the rule by mid-December.

The Tulsa World reported Tuesday that Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, "accused a federal agency on Monday of ignoring concerns that its sweeping proposal on power plants could cause blackouts."

Small wonder. Unreliable electricity, higher power bills and more job loss in these economic times?

West Virginians could be forgiven for wondering why Republicans were alone in expressing such concerns.

Related News

Renewables are not making electricity any more expensive

Renewables' Impact on US Wholesale Electricity Prices is clear: DOE analysis shows wind and solar,…
View more

Hinkley C nuclear reactor roof lifted into place

Hinkley Point C dome lift marks a nuclear reactor milestone in Somerset, as EDF used…
View more

Starting Texas Schools After Labor Day: Power Grid and Cost Benefits?

Texas After-Labor Day School Start could ease ERCOT's power grid strain by shifting peak demand,…
View more

California electricity pricing changes pose an existential threat to residential rooftop solar

California Rooftop Solar Rate Reforms propose shifting net metering to fixed access fees, peak-demand charges,…
View more

Duke Energy Florida to build its largest battery storage projects yet

Duke Energy Florida battery storage will add 22 MW across Trenton, Cape San Blas and…
View more

Independent power project announced by B.C. Hydro now in limbo

Siwash Creek Hydroelectric Project faces downsizing under a BC Hydro power purchase agreement, with run-of-river…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Download the 2026 Electrical Training Catalog

Explore 50+ live, expert-led electrical training courses –

  • Interactive
  • Flexible
  • CEU-cerified