Monday, January 8, 2018

USA: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Rejects DOEs Grid Resiliency Proposal

Trump-appointed regulators reject plan to rescue coal and nuclear plants (Washington Post)


The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday unanimously rejected a proposal by Energy Secretary Rick Perry that would have propped up nuclear and coal power struggling in competitive electricity markets.

The independent five-member commission includes four people appointed by President Trump, three of them Republicans. Its decision is binding.

Perry’s proposal favored power plants able to store 90 days fuel supply on site, "unlike renewable energy" (sic) or natural gas plants.

FERC said that while it had not used the term “resilience,”  it had pursued policies that would “ensure the uninterrupted supply of electricity in the face of fuel disruptions or extreme weather threats.”