Energy regulators should recognize natural gas is key to reliable grid
November 7, 2017
In a little over a month’s time, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is due to make a decision that could fundamentally alter the way that energy markets operate in much of the United States.
FERC is due to respond to a directive from the Department of Energy calling on it to develop new tariffs which will compensate power plants which can "withstand major fuel supply disruptions caused by natural or man-made disasters" by Dec. 11.
The department's notice specifically defines these facilities as those "able to provide essential energy and ancillary reliability services and have 90-day fuel supply on site in the event of supply disruption."
While the on-site fuel requirement may seem arbitrary, it's in fact a thinly veiled attempt to bail out aging coal and nuclear facilities that have struggled to compete with lower cost fuel alternatives like natural gas and are consequently being forced out of the market....
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