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The Solution to the Nation’s Coming Electricity Reliability Crisis: Build New Coal Plants! Part 2

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President Trump’s acknowledgement of the importance of energy at the Pittsburgh Energy and AI Summit is appreciated. My suggestion to Governor Shapiro and state Legislators in the Great State of Pennsylvania is: Remove the Regulatory Obstacles that stand in the way of building new coal plants. Just a day before President Trump’s Summit, I presented my analysis of the need for new coal plants at the Coal Institute. Not only the need for new coal plants, but also the fact that the primary energy of coal is the only source to use for major Bulk Power generation, 24/7, affordable, Dispatchable, storable and proven, before 2035.

Coal remains an important source of primary energy. If the laws of Physics, Common-Sense and Economic sanity prevailed, America would be building at least a hundred fifty green field or updated design HELE coal plants to serve Pennsylvania and the growing U.S. Demand for electricity across all 50 states. At the end of my presentation to the coal Institute I included sobering facts and data on the use of coal by China. For the U.S. to win the competition with China for AI dominance and to reshore manufacturing to the U.S., more new plants delivering reliable, affordable, Dispatchable coal power are needed.

There is One Source of Primary Energy that Can Provide Fuel for the Extreme Growth of Electricity Demand in the next Ten Years, Coal!

The growing electricity Demand will be difficult to generate without significant additions of new Dispatchable generation. Natural gas is the predominant fuel of choice, the easy path for Utilities to add generation. However, there are limitations to continued growth of gas generation to let’s say 100,000 MW or more by 2032. Meanwhile, electricity Demand is soaring at over 2% per year and by 2032 the increased peak demand is likely to be in the magnitude of 250,000 MW more.

There is One Fuel that Can Generate the New Power Demand

Natural gas is already providing about 43% of U.S. power generation, the supply-chain for new gas plants is limited and the risk of a single point of failure of “just in time” gas supply, doesn’t seem prudent to me. Nuclear is highly regarded and hoped for. I support more new nuclear generation. However, green field nuclear capacity additions in the magnitude of 250,000 MW will take decades to accomplish. Keep in mind the existing nuclear fleet which generates about 18% of America’s electricity now is from old nuclear plants most of which are over 40 years old. It took about 30 years to build the existing 97,000 MW of nuclear generation capacity. The Georgia Power Plant Vogtle additions of units 3 & 4 about 2,200 MW took ten years to design and construct.

Solar capacity in this magnitude is not practical and should not be attempted due to the enormous land use required. The 800,00 MW expected to be needed by 2050 would require solar farms about the size of 1 1/2 states the size of South Carolina. So, solar has its limitations.

Planned Solar Generation in PJM

Chris Moran of PJM presented an excellent presentation to describe the operations of PJM and how the PJM Interconnection functions. A very informative and well prepared presentation. Near the end of Chris’s presentation he showed the planned new generation for the PJM territory. Here is a screen shot of one of the slides. Yes, 63% Solar.

Conclusions:

  • It is Impossible for Solar and Wind to meet the Demand for new electricity in Pennsylvania to satisfy the needs of new AI growth and electricity for the return of manufacturing to the U.S.
  • Natural Gas remains important, but PJM and most of America is already dependent on too much natural gas for Base Load generation
  • The Supply-Chain of equipment to build efficient gas turbine, combined cycle plants is already stretched to meet the surging Demand
  • New nuclear plants will take at least a decade to provide significant new Greenfield Bulk Power generation in the range of 10,000-20,000 MW’s of new capacity
  • Coal plants can be built in less than ten years
  • Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wyoming, Illinois, Texas and other states have enormous reserves of high quality American Coal. We should use this Domestic Treasure of Primary Energy

It is my hope that Chris Wright and President Trump read this message. I strongly stand behind the talk I presented at the Coal Institute, this blog post and others that support coal power generation.

Yours Truly,

Dick Storm, July 19, 2025

References

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