#Energyreality, China, Coal Power, economic prosperity and energy

The Reality of Returning Major Power Generation Equipment Manufacturing to the U.S.

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Before I go any further please know that I support President Trump and his policies to return manufacturing to America. Ever since NAFTA in the 1990’s America has hemorrhaged manufacturing capacity. I presented my views on the harm of China entering the WTO in a 2016 presentation to the Delaware County Bar Association (PA) and also on my personal observations in Stanly County, NC during the 1990’s. Here and Here. The U.S. Climate policies begun during the Obama administration have destroyed over half of the U.S. Dispatchable, Reliable and Affordable coal power generation fleet. I wrote an article on, “How the War on Carbon weakens America and strengthens China” in 2021. This is a Self-Inflicted electricity generation crisis. The Obama and various NGO’s “War on Coal” killed about 125,000 MW of coal plant generation capacity and perhaps more egregiously along with them, the supply-chain to manufacture them.

So, what do we do now? (Hint: do as the Chinese are doing, read to the bottom)

The Challenge: Build 150,000 MW of New Gas, Nuclear and Coal Power Generation by 2030 and 800,000 MW of New Electricity Generation Capacity by 2050

For purposes of this essay the electricity growth of 150,000 MW of new electricity generation capacity is needed by 2030 and 800,000 MW by 2050.

Electricity Demand, According to ICF:

  • U.S. electricity demand is expected to grow 25% by 2030 and 78% by 2050
  • U.S. peak electricity demand is expected to grow 14% by 2030 and 54% through 2050
  • Residential retail rates could increase between 15% and 40% by 2030, depending on the local market

The Graph of Electricity Demand to 2050 below is from the ICF Report, May 2025. Notice they show coal power disappearing by 2040. 78% growth in 2050 is adding 1,014,000 MW to the current 1,300,000 MW of currently installed generation capacity. The 1,300 GW number is from America’s Public Power.

I tend to agree on the ICF load growth forecast but not on the exit of coal.

I believe the enormous generation growth from wind, solar, hydrogen, battery and geothermal is wishful thinking, a fantasy that many Bureaucrats, politicians and sadly, state policymakers and “Woke” Utility execs seem to believe.

Plans to exit coal are neither prudent or realistic. It is a Self-Inflicted limit to economic growth and if continued, will cause electricity Rationing.

Dave Walsh and myself participated in a panel discussion at Liberty University’s CEO Summit in Sept. 2024. The title of the panel was “Impacts of the Self-Inflicted Electricity Generation Crisis”. We laid out our views of the destruction of reliable, affordable, dispatchable power generation that was being destroyed by so called, “Climate Policies”. This loss of reliable generation capacity without replacement in-kind has created a future electricity generation crisis. Two previous articles cover the facts and information of our presentations at Liberty University, here and here.

Shortages and Rationing of Electricity

Rationing is referred to by Utilities, ICF, other recognized consultants and Bureaucrats as “Demand Response”. It simply means that electricity will be rationed for charging your EV or running your air conditioner at the whim of your electricity provider. Why? because no utility or IPP is accountable for planning future generation as integrated Regional Utilities once were such as the old Duke Power of the 1970’s, Philadelphia Electric, Santee-Cooper and hundreds more. Worse yet, unreliable, intermittent solar and wind has been forced onto the Grid with tax subsidies, thus weakening Grid reliability when power is needed at peak periods.

Demand Response sounds less threatening to the public than “Rationing”. Unfortunately, the path forward by many (most) Utilities is a path of shortages and rationing, by intention. Remember the old phrase? “Failing to plan is planning for failure”?

Power for the U.S.A

Power for the U.S.A. was the title of Donn Dears website, and I find it useful here. Donn Dears last book “Clean Energy Crisis” offered Donn’s calculations of what he forecasted as being needed by 2050 if all electricity was to be generated by carbon free sources. Here is what Mr. Dears calculated in 2023, before the AI Demand became so well publicized:

Donn Dears Forecast on “New Carbon-Free Generation Needed by 2050”:

  • 881 new nuclear plants equivalent to Plant Vogtle’s last two units, each about 1,100 mw’s
  • 3,918,996 MW of new solar plus BESS (Battery Electric Storage Systems to back it up at night)
  • 995,141 wind turbines of 2.5 MW each.

In conclusion, Mr. Dears states this is unachievable. So do I believe that building 881 new nuclear plants by 2050 is unrealistic. Many other’s who are experienced in power generation share these concerns of supply chain weakness.

A previous blog article discussed the “Clean Energy Crisis” and referenced Mr. Dears book. Then, Ron Stein and myself coauthored an article on a path forward with conventional forms of electricity generation, here. Let’s expand that discussion to show the challenge of building 150,000 MW of new coal electricity generation plants and 400,000 MW of new nuclear plants. It is a given that by 2050 gas turbine powered generating plants can be built to make up the difference, but not ALL. Keep in mind, some forecasts predict that over 1,000 GW of new 24/7 electricity generation will be required by 2050. Therefore, the new capacity discussed herein is very conservative.

The Supply-Chain for 125,000-150,000 MW of New Coal Power Generation

America had the manufacturing capacity in 2008 to build 150,000 MW of new coal plants. In fact, over 150 new plants were well along in the planning stages then, before the Obama Carbon Mandate killed them.

Energy and Electricity are the Economy. Electricity has been the Life-Blood of the economy of any Developed or Developing nation for over 100 years. To not plan for adequate primary energy and electricity generation for the future is to be un-American or even, anti-American. Let’s get into what I suggest.

Examples of Manufacturing Capacity that Need to be Replaced

Somehow….America needs Capital Investment in similar facilities as the Combustion-Engineering’s Chattanooga works had in 1975. This needs to be started ASAP. Here is an aerial picture of this magnificent facility when it was in operation.

The facility was over 88 acres under roof and included capabilities for manufacturing steel tubing, waterwalls, heavy walled headers, fabrication of tube assemblies as described above for the Roxboro superheater and also nuclear reactors and steam generators. I intentionally used the adjective magnificent to describe it. Here is a quote from my friend Tom who worked at C-E during this time period:

“I did a stint at CE in Chattanooga and still vividly recall the enormity of  the manufacturing capability. For instance 15,000 ton press that could bend 12” thick steel  Into a cylinder for a completed  nuclear vessel weighing 700 tons.

A Gang drill setup to drill 1600 holes through a 26” Inconel tube sheet for nuclear PWR steam generators. 

1000 ton crane to handle these fabrications and heat treat furnaces large enough to stress relieve them before shipment. What an experience to view and work with these marvels.”

The facility evolved and progressed over many years to become the pearl of manufacturing prowess that it was in 1975. Combustion-Engineering in these times was capable of producing steam generators that could power about 25,000 MW of electricity generation capacity each year. The business volume in 1977 dollars was about $1 Billion/year. The manufacturing volume was almost equal to the business profits of aftermarket maintenance and repairs. Being outstanding in design, manufacturing and services was a huge business for tens of thousands of employees. In 1978 Combustion-Engineering was # 125 on the Fortune 500 list of companies. Two competitors during this era with facilities similar to Combustion-Enegineering were Babcock & Wilcox and Foster-Wheeler. B&W was # 132 on Fortune’s list and Foster-Wheeler # 207.

Today Combustion Engineering and Foster-Wheeler U.S. shops are gone, B&W’s downsized but, thankfully, still in operation.

Recently I discussed a replacement/repair of a high pressure header for an existing Utility coal steam generator in Texas. I was told the header is on emergency order and it will be on site this fall. The header is sourced from somewhere in Asia and welding of tube studs and completion of fabrication will be done in South Carolina. This is bout 24 weeks lead time for just one header. I described a 1,350 MW steam generator in a previous article, here. Just to show a rough idea of the immensity of a large coal supercritical steam generator. The one described is the B&W Zimmer Plant, supercritical steam generator.

How About Nuclear Manufacturing in the U.S.?

One of my first positions in the power industry was working at Babcock & Wilcox’s Barberton facilities as a Technical Assistant to the Project Engineer for the design and fabrication of the Duke Power Oconee Nuclear Steam System (NSS). At that time, B&W had over 30,000 employees. Facilities about equally capable to the C-E Chattanooga Works described above. B&W has since been separated into two fine companies B&W and BWXT and are still capable of building both coal and nuclear power generation equipment. However, this manufacturing capacity, as far as I know, is downsized from that in place in the early 1970’s before the Three Mile Island incident. A previous article covers manufacturing in the 1970’s here.

Compare Current U.S. Nuclear Plans with World

America has more operating nuclear plants than any other country. However, the average age of these is over 40 years. America’s nuclear fleet was built between 1960 and 1990. For NEW Nuclear, here is the chart by the World Nuclear Association:

The chart below is China’s current electricity generation by fuel, according to the EIA. Yes, it is 60% coal, 14% hydro, 18% renewables and 5% nuclear power for electricity generation as of this writing. The fact is, China is continuing to operate old and to also build new coal plants as required to power their economic and industrial growth. Yes, they also are building new renewables and nuclear for a Balanced generation portfolio. It is hard to criticize this approach to powering the future. America should do likewise.

Conclusions

  • President Trump’s Executive Orders which declared an electricity generation emergency are in fact, correct. America does have a crisis of the supply-chain to build the new 24/7 electricity generation capacity needed in the future. It will be difficult to build the needed generation capacity due to the hollowing out of the Supply-Chain
  • The destruction of reliable coal plants without replacing them in-kind has been wrong and reckless. This is the root cause of the electricity generation crisis.
  • Those policymakers that have engaged in the “War on Coal” are related to or aligned with advocates of Socialism and Communism. The Capital Research Center, General Robert Spaulding, Frank Gaffney and the Center for Present Danger China and others have linked foreign entities to the “Red-Green New Deal” that is at the root of the Self-Sabotage of our reliable forms of electricity generation through China’s “Unrestricted Warfare”.
  • The Shortages of electricity and resulting Rationing (aka Demand Response) will be worse during peak Demand periods, July-August and December-February
  • Building 150,000 MW of new electricity generation capacity that is dispatchable by 2030 will be difficult unless all proven 24/7 affordable electricity generation fuels are included, including coal, nuclear and gas.
  • The U.S. Supply-Chain for critical manufacturing of steam generators, transformers, pumps, feed water heaters, nuclear reactor pressure vessels, nuclear steam generators and other equipment has been harmed by U.S. businesses and government out sourcing too much manufacturing to China.
  • Building the electricity generation capacity needed will require much more training of talent in the workforce because, as the Supply-Chain of U.S. power equipment manufacturing has withered, many of the experienced craft persons and engineers have found other work or retired.

Respectfully,

Dick Storm, June 1, 2025

References and sources for further research:

  1. ICF Consulting, Electricity Demand ForecastReport: https://www.icf.com/news/2025/05/electricity-demand-expected-to-grow-25-percent-by-2030
  2. Dick Storm Probizblog, May 2, 2025: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/05/02/clean-energy-crisis-2/
  3. The Challenge of Building 125,000 MW of new coal plants: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/05/07/the-reality-of-building-125-gw-of-new-coal-plant-generation-capacity-then-and-now/
  4. POWER Magazine June 2006 Cover Story, Coal Fired Plant Capacity Continues to Increase : https://www.powermag.com/cover-story-coal-fired-electric-power-capacity-continues-to-increase/
  5. Global Energy Monitor Proposed Coal Plants Planned in 2007: https://www.gem.wiki/Proposed_coal_plants_in_the_United_States
  6. Global Energy Monitor (GEMS) https://www.gem.wiki/Category:Proposed_coal_plants_in_the_United_Stateshttps://www.gem.wiki/Category:Proposed_coal_plants_in_the_United_States
  7. GEMS, “What Happened to the 151 Coal Plants” updated by GEMS 2017: https://www.gem.wiki/What_happened_to_the_151_proposed_coal_plants%3F
  8. NETL Report on Status of New Coal Plants 2010: https://www.netl.doe.gov/projects/files/TrackingNewCoalFiredPowerPlants_010810.pdf
  9. GEMS-2021 Boom and Bust Status of World Coal Plants: https://globalenergymonitor.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/BoomAndBust_2021_final.pdf
  10. Oil Price.com 2012 report on 1200 Coal Plants being built worldwide: https://preprod.oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/1200-New-Coal-Plants-Planned-for-Construction-Around-the-World.html
  11. Capital Research Center update of 2010 of the Sierra Club “War on Coal”: https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-sierra-clubs-war-on-coal/
  12. IEFA Report U.S. on Track to Close Half of Total Coal Generation by 2026: https://ieefa.org/resources/us-track-close-half-coal-capacity-2026
  13.  Obama’s Carbon Mandate, 114th Congress, 2015: https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/3/8/386eb25d-b723-4ffd-9fcf-218425a33191/18EF72E5A9E08E51C8DD45F4B0DD29BD.epw-staff-report-obama-carbon-mandate.pdf
  14. B&W Technologies BWXT: https://www.bwxt.com
  15. Babcock & Wilcox Company, Akron, Ohio: https://www.babcock.com/home/thermal/steam-generators/utility-scale-boilers/
  16. U.S. Current Electricity Generation, Installed Capacity as of 2025 by America’s Public Power: https://www.publicpower.org/system/files/documents/Americas-Electricity-Generation-Capacity-2025-Update.pdf
  17. EPOCH Times article on President Trump’s EO on increasing new nuclear plant construction: https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-signs-executive-orders-to-boost-us-nuclear-industry-5862550
  18. WNA Data Base of Nuclear Plants in the World: https://world-nuclear.org/nuclear-reactor-database/summary
    Power Magazine Commentary by Don Grace on lessons learned at Vogtle: https://www.powermag.com/what-was-learned-from-building-new-nuclear-reactors/
  19. Bechtel website on Vogtle and Nuclear Plant experience: https://www.bechtel.com/projects/vogtle-units-3-and-4/c
    U.S. Dept. of Energy Fact sheet on Vogtle: https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/5-things-you-should-know-about-plant-vogtle
  20. Plant Vogtle Reactors, report by Stanford Univ. 2017: http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2017/ph241/vandegraaf2/
  21. TVA Infor on new SMR Permitting: https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-signs-executive-orders-to-boost-us-nuclear-industry-5862550
  22. Vogtle Turbogenerator installed, May 2016 WNA News: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Generator-equipment-in-place-at-Vogtle-3 c
  23. Westinghouse Manufacturing in New Hampshire: https://info.westinghousenuclear.com/blog/nuclear-components-manufacturing 
  24. Westinghouse Low Enriched Uranium manufacturing in U.S. : https://worldbusinessoutlook.com/westinghouse-announces-the-reach-of-commercialization-of-leu-fuel-in-the-u-s/
  25. ICF Report, April 2025 on New Nuclear Plants: https://www.icf.com/insights/energy/nuclear-energy-growth-factors?utm_source=pdf&utm_medium=document&utm_campaign=3642_Electricity_DemandGrowth_Report
  26. China References-2025 EIA China Energy: https://www.eia.gov/international/overview/country/CHN
  27. Energy, Security and Freedom article by Thomas J. Shepstone and Doug Sheridan on the 2022 Charade & Corruption of Green Energy: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/enough-of-the-spin-and-pr-speak-lets?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
  28. The Coming Electricity Reliability Crisis and the Importance of Coal, Sept. 12, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/09/12/the-electricity-reliability-crisis-and-the-importance-of-american-coal/
  29. The Kingdom of Heaven Runs on Righteousness, The Kingdom of Earth Runs on Energy, Oct. 3, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/10/03/heaven-runs-on-righteousness-earth-runs-on-energy/
  30. The Rise and Fall of Nations from the perspective of nuclear power systems manufacturing: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/08/15/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nations-and-the-realities-of-energy/
  31. Thomas J. Shepstone posting on Substack of,  “Energy Matters If You Value the Life You Now Have and Don’t Want to Live Under Socialism“: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/energy-matters-if-you-value-the-life?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
  32. CommitteePresentDangerChinaInsideourwires: https://presentdangerchina.org/webinar-inside-our-wires-the-ccp-has-penetrated-our-electric-grid-will-xi-destroy-it/
  33. China References-2025 EIA China Energy: https://www.eia.gov/international/overview/country/CHN
  34. Dick Storm Blog, “Threats to the U.S. Grid: Threats to the Electric Grid,  (Most threats, self-inflicted) March 15, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/15/threats-to-the-grid-electricity-reliability/
  35. Visual Capitalist on Industrial Growth of China and U.S. : https://www.voronoiapp.com/economy/-Industrial-Production-in-China-Up-37-Since-2019–4873
  36. Committee for Present Danger China: https://presentdangerchina.org
  37. China Transformers with hidden “Backdoors” for Cyber Attack: Texas, 2021: https://texasscorecard.com/commentary/waller-chinese-backdoor-threatens-next-texas-blackout/
  38. Industrial Cyber:  https://industrialcyber.co/threats-attacks/chinese-transformers-in-critical-electric-sector-confirmed-by-two-us-administrations/
  39. WSJ on Houston Transformer from China being taken to Sandia Labs for Inspection, 2020: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-seizure-of-chinese-built-transformer-raises-specter-of-closer-scrutiny-11590598710
  40. CBN Report 2022 on Risk of Chinese Transformers to our Grid: https://cbn.com/news/us/cyber-pearl-harbor-how-china-built-backdoor-threat-could-take-down-us-electric-grid
  41. Energy Supply-Chain Risks- Lawfare Media- 2020: https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/energy-grid-supply-chain-risks-and-us-china-entanglement  
  42. Utility Dive on Vulnerability of Grid to Chinese Transformers April- 2023: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/chinese-supply-chains-for-critical-infrastructure-threaten-the-us-power-gri/644505/
  43. Center for Security Policy Sept. 2021: https://centerforsecuritypolicy.org/houston-has-a-problem-chinese-backdoor-threatens-next-texas-blackout/
  44. Power Transformer News, May 2023: https://www.powertransformernews.com/2023/03/28/extent-of-chinese-made-components-in-u-s-electrical-grid-still-unknown/
  45. POWER Magazine, June 2024 on Power Transformers long lead times: https://www.powermag.com/the-transformer-crisis-an-industry-on-the-brink/
  46. Utility Dive article on long lead times (80-120 months for large high voltage transformers) Feb. 2025 : https://www.utilitydive.com/news/electric-transformer-shortage-nrel-niac/738947/
  47. Wood Mackensie report on large Transformers, April 2025: https://www.woodmac.com/news/opinion/supply-shortages-and-an-inflexible-market-give-rise-to-high-power-transformer-lead-times/
  48. InfluenceWatch on NRDC: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/natural-resources-defense-council-nrdc/ (see the section on connections to the Chinese)
  49. InfluenceWatch on Sierra Club: https://capitalresearch.org/article/influencewatch-friday-5-24-2024/
  50. InfluenceWatch on Energy Foundation: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/energy-foundation/
  51. InfluenceWatch on Energy Foundation China: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/energy-foundation-china/
  52. NGOs and Nuke Power: https://capitalresearch.org/article/nuclear-energy-rich-climate-ngos-have-nuked-clean-power/
  53. Bident grants for anti-nuclear NGOs: https://capitalresearch.org/article/biden-administration-approved-485-million-for-anti-nuclear-nonprofits/
  54. Robert Spaulding on China’s “Unrestricted Warfare” 2020 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT8LRZAonQA
  55. WION, New Delhi- Gravitas, with Palki Sharma Upadhyay, About May 2021:     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO86N0W0qco
  56. National security white paper marks China’s push for global order on its terms: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/national-security-white-paper-marks-chinas-push-for-global-order-on-its-terms/articleshow/121330816.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
  57. “Unrestricted Warfare” approach of the CCP to weaken America through non-kinetic means: https://archive.org/details/unrestricted-warfare
  58. The book, “Unrestricted Warfare” available on Amazon: Unrestricted Warfare: China’s Master Plan to Destroy America Paperback – November 10, 2015 by  Qiao Liang  (Author), Wang Xiangsui  (Author)
  59. U.S. War on Carbon Accomplishes Two Things, Weakens America, Enriches China, Jan. 30, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/01/30/us-war-on-carbon-accomplishes-two-things/
  60.  Blue Planet in Green Shackles, What is Endangered, Climate or Freedom”: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-nD
  61. POWER Magazine on the surge in Gas Turbine sales, four year lead times, April 2025: https://www.powermag.com/gas-powers-boom-sparks-a-turbine-supply-crunch/
  62. President Trump’s Executive Orders on Electricity Generation and Grid Security/Reliability, Fact Sheet, April 2025: https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-strengthens-the-reliability-and-security-of-the-united-states-electric-grid/

China, Coal Power, economic prosperity and energy, Energy, Electricity, Economic Prosperity and Environmental Protection

Internal and External Threats to The U.S. Electric Grid

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Several of my friends and myself have given presentations and written reports on how America has created energy and electricity generation policies that will Self-Sabotage electricity reliability. Last year I wrote on my blog, “Threats to the Electric Grid” with an emphasis on harmful U.S. EPA policies. At the time of writing, I was aware of Chinese mischief with large Utility scale transformers, but had not thought about the seriousness of this threat. Last week, I was contacted by my friend Dave Walsh and asked to join him and several others on a panel with Frank Gaffney for a webinar entitled, “Inside Our Wires: The CCP Has Penetrated Our Electric Grid, Will Xi Destroy It?” The question threaded through the discussion: “is this part of the CCP’s Unrestricted Warfare?”. The webinar is summarized below.

It is beyond dispute that the so-called “Green New Deal “– and the misleadingly named Inflation Reduction Act that has massively subsidized its adoption – has greatly weakened the reliability of America’s most critical of critical infrastructures: the electric “grid.” That has been the practical effect of the putative “sustainable energy movement” with its obsessive focus on reducing, if not eliminating altogether, coal-fired power-generation, nuclear energy and even natural gas-powered dual-cycle turbines. 
 
Such problems are being exacerbated by governmental and commercial interest in artificial intelligence and the necessary, vast expansion in the number of data centers around the country, with their endless appetite for additional power for operating and cooling their server farms. Such demand is, in turn, translating into greater and greater reliance on the principal source of “green” solar panels, windmills and electric batteries, namely the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
 
Recent revelations that inverters associated with such Chinese products have been equipped with “kill switches” that would disable or even destroy them remotely make the prospect of serious, sustained and/or catastrophic interruptions of power at the hands of the CCP a distinct prospect. Ditto the 400+ Chinese-manufactured high-voltage transformer that comprise the backbone of our grid, at least two of which have been shown to have similar “backdoors.”
 
The Committee on the Present Danger: China webinar May 22, 2025 explores how on earth these potentially nation-ending vulnerabilities were ever allowed to exist in the first place, let alone to metastasize to the clear benefit of our mortal enemy, the CCP, as they have. The panel will also consider what must be done immediately to mitigate them.
 
Video of webinar and more is available at www.PresentDangerChina.org
 
Moderator: Frank Gaffney, President, Institute for the American Future; Vice Chairman, Committee on the Present Danger: China
 
Panelists:
 
Col. Grant Newsham, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.) – Topic: “The CCP Inside Our Wires: The Strategic Implications”
 
Charles “Sam” Faddis – Topic: “The CCP’s Imbedded Trojan Horses: Donald Trump’s Effort to Shut Them Down; Joe Biden’s Reversal of His Directive”  
 
Dave Walsh – Topic: “The Magnitude of the CCP Threat to Our Most Critical of Critical Infrastructures – The U.S. Electric Grid – and What Can We Do About It? ” 
 
Dick Storm – DickStormProBizBlog.org – Topic: “How Did the CCP Get Inside the Grid: The CCP’s ‘Old Friends,’ the Red-Green New Deal and the Challenge of Our Time” 

As is often the case when one becomes involved in a meeting/discussion such as this, new and different perspectives are learned….as in my case. I came away enlightened from the experience of being with these gentlemen. The purpose of this article is to share the information that I learned last Thursday. I think it is important to do so.

My Take Aways From The Webinar

I will summarize my take aways. However, the full transcript is available for anyone interested in reading it and of course, the video link is included above. I will list those points that I think are very important and unfortunately, not very well known by the American people due to malpractice of the MSM.

  • The CCP has been working on penetrating our Grid for many years
  • The politicians that pushed the “Green New Deal” which morphed into the “IRA” may have been influenced by foreign Dark Money to deliberately create self sabotaging energy policies, referred to as “Climate Policies” See the Capital Research Center reports listed in the references at the end for more information
  • America’s Supply-Chain has been weakened by De-Industrialization of the U.S. and much manufacturing being transferred to China
  • China is the beneficiary of U.S. De-Industrialization
  • America’s Reliable and Dispatchable Generation Capacity has been steadily reduced since 2010
  • Over 90% of New Generation Capacity installed to replace coal plants, has been solar and/or wind
  • Electricity generation Reserves have declined from about 25% a decade ago to about 15% and are still declining
  • The Supply-Chain of Engineering and Craft Labor Talent, raw materials and manufacturing is NOT as capable today as it was in 2010
  • America’s Grid is vulnerable to nefarious actors, whether Russian, Chinese or other

A Reminder of the CCP Plan, Unrestricted Warfare

About February 2020 a friend sent me a link to a New Delhi news program, WION, – Gravitas, with Palki Sharma Upadhyay the reporter. The courageous lady presented a 15 minute or so program on how the CCP had spread the Wuhan lab created virus as part of unrestricted biological warfare. The book “Unrestricted Warfare” and its theme of increasing China’s strength in the world and overcoming U.S. strength was highlighted. I saved an MP3 version of that program. Interestingly, I could not find a live link of that particular program today. It appears to have disappeared? Here is another one from 2021 where Ms. Sharma discusses the CCP and unrestricted warfare plans about a year later.

The book “Unrestricted Warfare” is available on Amazon. 

One of the better-known alternatives in this book is the idea of attacking networks. Networks are increasingly important in not only data exchange but also transportation, financial institutions, and communication. Attacks that disable networks can easily hamstring large areas of life that are dependent on them for coordination. One example of network warfare would be shutting down a network that supplies power.

If there is a significant failure in the power grid caused by the attack, massive power outages could result, crippling industry, defense, medicine, and all other areas of life.

Conclusions and Summary

For many years since Obama was President, I wondered what was he and the Democrats thinking? Why were they working to implement policies that would weaken America? The fact is, the climate policies of Obama, Biden and the key Democrats in Congress, whether intentional or from green indoctrination has in fact, weakened America’s infrastructure and made us vulnerable to outside nefarious actions. The reading list below will augment the video discussion of PresentDangerChina.org

Thankfully, now Donald Trump is President and we can pray that God will continue to Bless America. There is a lot of work to do to correct years of poor energy policies.

Dick Storm, May 27, 2025

References and for further research

  1. “Inside Our Wires: The CCP Has Penetrated Our Electric Grid, Will Xi Destroy It?” https://presentdangerchina.org/webinar-inside-our-wires-the-ccp-has-penetrated-our-electric-grid-will-xi-destroy-it/
  2. Transcript: https://presentdangerchina.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/TRANSCRIPT_Webinar_Grid_China.pdf
  3. On the “Revolving Door” of Extremists and top government Bureaucrats, especially in EPA, 114th Congress, Majority Staff Report, Obama’s Carbon Mandate, August 2015: http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/USSEWP080415.pdf
  4. China’s Unrestricted Warfare book, written in 1999 by two CCP officers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unrestricted_Warfare
  5. General Robert Spaulding on YouTube, discussing China’s “Unrestricted Warfare”: Robert Spaulding on China’s “Unrestricted Warfare” 2020 on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT8LRZAonQA
  6. WION, New Delhi- Gravitas, with Palki Sharma Upadhyay, About May 2021:     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO86N0W0qco
  7. War on Carbon Accomplishes Two Things, Strengthens China and Weakens U.S. Jan. 30, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/01/30/us-war-on-carbon-accomplishes-two-things/
  8. National Review, Russians Fund Environmentalists: https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/12/how-russia-backed-environmentalism-is-leading-to-blackouts-in-new-england/
  9. WSJ article on COP-28, December 17, 2023: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cop28-deal-fossil-fuels-transition-john-kerry-renewable-energy-e079a395?mc_cid=c40fb180f8&mc_eid=9726d780ee
  10. The Real Reason The Globalists Hate Donald Trump, LI Dec. 2023: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7142356797813653504-1fax?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  11. CCP Ties to Environmental Policies in US, Fox News, Dec. 2023: https://news.yahoo.com/ccp-tied-group-quietly-fueling-090047868.html
  12. Original article for CCP Involvement: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ccp-tied-group-quietly-fueling-us-based-climate-initiatives-tax-filings
  13. Covering Climate News Now: https://coveringclimatenow.org
  14. Green Energy, China’s Trojan horse, Western Journal: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/fournier-is-green-energy-the-chinese-communist-partys-trojan-horse/article_6bbc2b04-50a5-11ed-bdc4-9b18b8d01f80.html?fbclid=IwAR2FlJqrXPh6wiA5xb2AWD66Rvbm8jjeq-UsCypE3JanxLQsQ_HmjsS1BHc
  15. German Extremists, Funded by Russia: https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/01/putins-green-fifth-column/
  16. China to build 106 GW of new coal plants March 2023: https://chinadialogue.net/en/energy/two-sessions-chinese-provinces-push-coal-and-clean-energy/
  17. China Permits Two Coal Plants each Week during 2022: https://energyandcleanair.org/publication/china-permits-two-new-coal-power-plants-per-week-in-2022/  
  18. Self Sabotage the Electric Grid: WSJ January 2023:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/america-self-sabotages-its-electrical-grid-renewable-fossil-fuel-power-11672685320
  19. Breakthrough Institute Report on Renewables Not being Practical, July 2023: https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/energy/what-the-100-renewables-literature-gets-wrong
  20. Tablet, Hoax of the Century, 13 Ways of Looking at Disinformation by Jacob Siegel: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/guide-understanding-hoax-century-thirteen-ways-looking-disinformation?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
  21. Gatestone Institute on CCP Influence of U.S. Policy, Aug. 2023: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19921/china-influence-activity-us
  22. Happer & Lindzen vs. EPA Full Text, July 2023: https://co2coalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Happer-Lindzen-EPA-Power-Plants-2023-07-19.pdf
  23. Count on Coal Blog: https://www.countoncoal.org/2023/08/the-energy-policy-torpedo/
  24.  We should learn from the wind turbine mistakes of Europe, Stop These Things Blog, July 2023: https://stopthesethings.com/2023/07/23/dont-follow-the-leader-learning-from-europes-renewable-energy-disaster/

  25. European Scientist, on Agriculture and Energy, by Dr. Samuele Furfari, July 2023: https://www.europeanscientist.com/en/And https://www.europeanscientist.com/en/features/agriculture-who-wants-to-replace-22-billion-human-equivalents/

  26. CO2 Coalition, “Why CO2 is NOT a Climate Emergency”, : https://co2coalition.org/media/why-climate-change-is-not-an-emergency/

  27. NASA video and report on massive water vapor produced by Tonga Volcano in Jan. 2022 (Report August 2022): https://climate.nasa.gov/news/3204/tonga-eruption-blasted-unprecedented-amount-of-water-into-stratosphere/

  28. Imprimis Essay by Bjorn Lomborg on Thinking Smartly About Climate Change, April 2023: https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/thinking-smartly-about-climate-change/
  29. Master Resource Blog on Energy, Electricity Regulation and Environment: https://www.masterresource.org/giberson-michael/classical-liberalism-electricity-not-complicated/#comment-401014
  30. CO2 Coalition Fact Page: https://co2coalition.org/facts/
  31. PA Pundits War on Fossil Fuels Empowers China: https://www.cfact.org/2023/08/03/the-war-on-fossil-fuels-empowers-china/
  32. Stossel & Curry You Tube Interview, August 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVi01vJ4nxM
  33. InfluenceWatch on NRDC: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/natural-resources-defense-council-nrdc/ (see the section on connections to the Chinese)
  34. InfluenceWatch on Sierra Club: : https://capitalresearch.org/article/influencewatch-friday-5-24-2024/
  35. InfluenceWatch on Energy Foundation: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/energy-foundation/
  36. InfluenceWatch on Energy Foundation China: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/energy-foundation-china/
  37. NGOs and Nuke Power: https://capitalresearch.org/article/nuclear-energy-rich-climate-ngos-have-nuked-clean-power/
  38. Bident grants for anti-nuclear NGOs: https://capitalresearch.org/article/biden-administration-approved-485-million-for-anti-nuclear-nonprofits/

  39. Patrick Moore Tweet on temperature rise and CO2, July 28, 2023: https://twitter.com/EcoSenseNow/status/1684569534085349379?s=20
  40. The Christmas Grid Emergency: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-christmas-electric-grid-emergency-11672091317?mod=article_inline
  41. Reuters list of Coal Plants scheduled for or already Shut Down: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-coal-fired-power-plants-scheduled-shut-2021-10-28/
  42. Wikipedia list of coal plants shut down: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_decommissioned_coal-fired_power_stations_in_the_United_States
  43. Republican Senators Capito (WVA) and Barrasso (WY) submit Bill to keep coal plants running, overturn EPA Rule, Fox News, June 2023: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republicans-overturn-bidens-power-plant-crackdown
  44. Sen. Capito Website: https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/top-republicans-raise-alarm-on-bidens-power-plant-regs-growing-risks-to-electric-reliability
  45. Governing.com on threats of electricity reliability, June 2023: https://www.governing.com/infrastructure/experts-warn-lack-of-reliable-renewables-puts-grid-at-risk#:~:text=The%20retirement%20of%20fossil%20fuel%20electricity%20production%20and%20the%20lack,from%20a%20loss%20of%20power. 
  46. American Energy Alliance, 100 Ways the Democrats and Biden have Made the U.S. Less Energy Secure, May 2022: https://www.americanenergyalliance.org/2022/05/100-ways-biden-and-the-democrats-have-made-it-harder-to-produce-oil-gas/
  47. Environmental Progress Report on Carbon Intensity of Solar Panels including Chinese Manufacturing use of coal power to manufacture them, July 2023: https://environmentalprogress.org/big-news/2023/7/3/solar-panels-are-more-carbon-intensive-than-experts-will-admit
  48. The Hill-Codified New Green Deal links, July 20, 2023: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4108506-trump-says-he-would-end-green-new-deal-atrocities-on-first-day-back-in-white-house/?email=84d4bddd0c71e4df29ecbc7fd21bc23942fd3d7b&emaila=165216f6fa37b0526d6bbc3b773b5c0c&emailb=462db23387b0b81da7e473e3205ce8df130a90dc5cc967a607e92936346e33c3&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MR%207/21
  49. Capital Research Testimony by Scott Walter May 2022: https://capitalresearch.org/app/uploads/2022-May-4-Testimony-Finance-Subcom-IRS.pdf
    Capital Research Center, Green watch: https://capitalresearch.org/category/green-watch/
    NRDC Activist Facts, Influence Watch: https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/19-natural-resources-defense-council/
  50. C. Paul Smith “Closing Argument on the Climate Change Hoax”: https://www.cpaulsmith.com/palmyra-bookstore/the-climate-change-hoax-argument/
  51. Dr. Timothy Ball Paper on the Deliberate Corruption of Science, 2014: https://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/epd/EPAC/BOOK%20REVIEW%20-%20‘THE%20DELIBERATE%20CORRUPTION%20OF%20CLIMATE%20SCIENCE%20by%20TIM%20BALL.pdf
  52. Tim Ball, CO2 is not a pollutant 2018: https://www.technocracy.news/tim-ball-the-evidence-proves-that-co2-is-not-a-greenhouse-gas/
  53.  Grid Down Power Up:  https://griddownpowerup.com
  54. Global Electricity Prices: https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/electricity_prices/
  55.  EMP Commission Reports: http://www.empcommission.org
  56.  Energy Dept. Report on Transformers for Grid: https://www.energy.gov/oe/addressing-security-and-reliability-concerns-large-power-transformers
  57. Detailed report on Transformer Manufacturers of world, see pgs 19-23 on suppliers: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/04/f15/LPTStudyUpdate-040914.pdf  
  58. Newsweek article on Transformer Attacks, Dec. 2022: https://www.newsweek.com/physical-attacks-power-substations-multiple-states-1765225
  59. Wind and Inadequate Batteries for Backup: https://stopthesethings.com/2023/03/24/permanent-no-hopers-batteries-no-solution-for-wind-solars-inherent-intermittency/
  60. Reuters, Old Nukes Threatened by Parts Obsolescence, April 2023: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/nuclear-life-extension-plans-tested-by-obsolete-components-2023-04-05/
  61. A good introduction on EMP and Grid vulnerability from June 18, 2020 by Chris Said, Ph.D. is at https://chris-said.io/2020/06/18/everything-ive-learned-about-solar-storm-risk-and-emp-attacks/  
  62. An assessment of threats to the American power grid” by Weiss and Weiss (2019) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13705-019-0199-y
  63. The web link for the 2008 DTIC report cited above regarding transformer vulnerability has changed. See page 41 of 208 of the report at https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA484672.pdf or http://www.empcommission.org/docs/A2473-EMP_Commission.pdf
  64.  “Ensuring Electricity Infrastructure Resilience Against Deliberate Electromagnetic Threats” https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47339
  65.  Transformers, WUWT Nov. 2022: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/14/power-transformer-shortage-is-wreaking-havoc-in-the-u-s/
  66. American Suppression of Fossil Fuels Courts a National Security Disaster, By Ronald Stein P.E.  https://heartland.org/opinion/american-suppression-of-fossil-fuels-courts-a-national-security-disaster/
  67. Canadian Pipeline Sabotage by Anarchists, Feb. 2023: https://www.vancouverislandfreedaily.com/news/trend-of-escalating-violence-coastal-gaslink-decries-pipeline-sabotage-claims-on-anarchist-site/
  68. Yale Report on Deaths from “Blackouts” : https://environment-review.yale.edu/true-cost-power-outages-0
  69. Duke Energy, Wilmington, NC, 420 MW Coal Plant Demolition, Sutton Plant Implosion video, 2016: https://youtu.be/miSapiaJTpM
  70. Portland General Electric, 500 MW Utility Coal Boiler Demolition, Boardman Plant Implosion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0azahkPUVA
  71. 60 Minutes program on Vulnerability of Electric Grid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65siHaUPsRM
  72. Congressional Research Service State of Electric Utilities, 1973-1984: https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/99th-congress-1985-1986/reports/doc10b-entire_1.pdf
  73. WSJ The Real Price of Wind and Solar, Renewables Cost More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/renewable-energy-balancing-costs-united-kingdom-energy-bills-9795e48d?mod=opinion_lead_pos4
  74. World’s Climate Scientists Told to Cover Up the Fact the world has not warmed in 15 years, Daily Mail, UK: https://www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2425775/amp/Climate-scientists-told-cover-fact-Earths-temperature-risen-15-years.html  
  75. Daily Skeptic on John Clauser Slamming the Corrupt Science used to create a “Climate Emergency” : https://dailysceptic.org/2023/07/14/nobel-physics-laureate-2022-slams-climate-emergency-narrative-as-dangerous-corruption-of-science/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
  76. Utility Dive, 2021 on Hackers and the Grid: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/sophisticated-hackers-could-crash-the-us-power-grid-but-money-not-sabotag/603764/
  77. Steve Milloy, Junk Science, July 20, 2023: https://twitter.com/JunkScience/status/1681843663276593159/photo/2
  78. Biased reporting of Texas weather reports, blaming “Climate Change” by WA PO called out by WUWT post, June 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/06/25/no-wapo-a-texas-heat-wave-has-nothing-to-do-with-global-climate-change/
  79. Mises Institute, Wind and Solar are Not Cheaper than Gas & Coal, July 18, 2023: https://mises.org/wire/wind-and-solar-are-not-cheaper-coal-and-oil
  80. WUWT from Roy Spencer’s Blog, “yes, Virginia, There is a Climate Crisis” July 19, 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/07/19/yes-virginia-there-is-a-climate-crisis/
  81. ELECTREK article on Chinese EV’s to dominate market: https://electrek.co/2023/05/11/chinas-ev-surge-threatens-legacy-automakers-market-dominance/
  82. Dr. Judith Curry Review of CLINTEL report analyzing IPCC-AR6: https://judithcurry.com/2023/05/13/clintels-critical-evaluation-of-the-ipcc-ar6/ 
  83. CLINTEL website: https://clintel.org
  84. Capital Research Center, Green Watch: https://capitalresearch.org/category/green-watch/
  85. Ron Clutz Blog, including You Tube of Jimmy Dore explanation of Google Biasing Propaganda on “Climate Change”: https://rclutz.com/2023/05/22/google-screens-your-climate-info/#like-31222
  86. WUWT on Smearing Journalists that do not agree with “Woke & UN-IPCC Manmade Global Warming narrative: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/05/23/regime-climate-censorship-enforcer-newsguard-the-tragic-case-of-zack-fishman/
  87. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, 60 years later, Fails Test of Time, WUWT:https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/05/17/carsons-silent-spring-fails-test-of-time-new-york-times-verdict-in-2007/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=carsons-silent-spring-fails-test-of-time-new-york-times-verdict-in-2007
  88. Robert Bryce, No Uranium for Nuclear, June 9, 2023: https://robertbryce.substack.com/p/no-u
  89. Ken Braun on Leftist Organizations Funding anti Fossil Fuels: https://capitalresearch.org/article/nuclear-power-hating-hypocrites-part-1/
  90. World Economic Forum Doesn’t Even Hide their Intent to Create Decline of the Western World: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ogbl#inbox/FMfcgzGsnBbvwcrFHbjLsNkzqTMKjvCP
  91. WEF Urban Mobility Paper, May 2023: https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Urban_Mobility_Scorecard_Tool_2023.pdf?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
  92. E&E News Democrats into Power Positions, May 2023: https://www.eenews.net/articles/how-green-new-dealers-became-washington-power-players/
  93. John Kerry Speech on “The Great Reset” New American, Nov. 2020: https://thenewamerican.com/john-kerry-talks-great-reset-at-world-economic-forum/
  94. The Great Reset movement toward World Totalitarianism, Hillsdale College Lecture by Michael Rectenwald: https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/what-is-the-great-reset/
  95. John Kerry Targets Agriculture at WEF Speech, May 2023, Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/john-kerry-targets-agriculture-part-climate-crusade
  96. WEF Limiting Private Cars:  https://www.internationalfreepress.com/2023/06/wef-document-calls-for-limiting-private.html
  97. WEF on Degrowth, June 2022: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/what-is-degrowth-economics-climate-change/
  98. WEF Calls to reduce vehicles by eliminating ownership, Aug. 2022: https://www.climatedepot.com/2022/08/01/world-economic-forum-calls-to-reduce-private-vehicles-by-eliminating-ownership/
  99. Sierra Club and Abortion Alignment, On the Issues, : https://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Sierra_Club_Abortion.htm
  100. U.N., Planned Parenthood and Sierra Club Alignment Sept. 2015: https://unfoundation.org/media/un-foundation-planned-parenthood-federation-of-america-sierra-club-announce-winners-of-first-ever-why-we-care-youth-emerging-leaders-for-reproductive-rights-contest/
  101. Sierra Club & NRDC Environmental Groups Urge Support for Affordable Care Act and Reproductive Rights, March 2017: https://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2017/03/environmental-groups-urge-support-affordable-care-act-and-planned-parenthood
  102. Sierra Club & Planned Parenthood Join Conferences to Explain Sex and the Environment. Nov. 2007, Catholic News Agency, : https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/11091/sierra-club-joins-planned-parenthood-to-offer-conferences-on-sex-and-the-environment
  103. Professor Michael Kelly, UK, June 2017: https://www.soci.org/news/general-news/professor-michael-kelly-lecture
  104. FERC Energy Regulator States, “Power Grid is Facing Dire Consequences Due to Coal & Gas Retirements”, “WUWT June 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/06/13/federal-energy-regulatory-commissioner-mark-christie-power-grid-is-facing-dire-consequences-due-to-coal-gas-retirements/
  105. Donations to DeSantis Election Campaign by Duke and NextEra Utilities, June 2023: https://jacobin.com/2023/03/ron-desantis-florida-utility-companies-power-shutoffs-republican-party
  106. Electrical Disconnection by Utilities, June 2023 : https://bailout.cdn.prismic.io/bailout/49a01c18-5c8d-4821-ae22-5ee09a089cba_Powerless+in+the+US_Report.pdf?ref=the-lever
  107. Dark Money from Utilities to Elected Officials or Candidates, The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/15/us-power-companies-political-lobbying-donations-nonprofit
  108. Electric Power Company Donations; https://www.energyandpolicy.org/campaign-finance-reports-reveal-utility-industry-contributions/
  109. Daily Signal list of companies that donate to Planned Parenthood, Aug. 2015: https://www.dailysignal.com/2015/08/19/more-companies-that-have-donated-to-planned-parenthood/ and
  110. https://www.dailysignal.com/2015/07/21/meet-the-41-companies-that-donate-directly-to-planned-parenthood/
  111. More companies that donate to PP: https://www.partnersforethicalcare.com/planned-parenthood-donors
  112. JTF donations of 25 million to Democrats: https://jtf.org/follow-the-money-planned-parenthood-donated-25m-to-democrats-since-2000/
  113. INTEL and others that promote Zero Population Growth and Planned Parenthood: https://www.christianpost.com/voices/meet-the-biggest-planned-parenthood-supporter-in-corporate-america.html
  114. Open Secrets Donations to Planned Parenthood, 2022: https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2022?cmte=Planned+Parenthood&tab=donors
  115. AMAC Article on Planned Parenthood Funding, 2017, over 962,000 abortions and $1.3 Billion in “Donations”: https://amac.us/may-not-support-planned-parenthoodbut-favorite-companies/
  116. 2nd Vote website of companies that contribute $1.3 Billion to Planned Parenthood, 2017: https://www.2ndvote.com/planned-parenthood/
  117. John Kerry on BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57135506
  118. John Kerry coordination with Green Groups, Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republicans-probe-john-kerrys-ties-eco-groups-efforts-shield-oversight
  119. Robert Bryce Substack on the “Iron Law of Electricity” Increases in coal use around the world, June 17, 2023: https://robertbryce.substack.com/p/the-iron-law-of-electricity-strikes
  120. California Globe, California’s Electricity Policy Failure, June 18, 2023: https://californiaglobe-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/californiaglobe.com/articles/the-failure-of-california-electricity-policy-in-one-image/amp/
  121. World Bank report, June, 2023, De-Tx Development, Mis-Use of Fertilizers & DeGrowth:  https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/61d04aca-1b95-4c06-8199-3c4a423cb7fe/content?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
  122. NJ ROI (Return On Info) : https://www.roi-nj.com/2023/05/17/roi-influencers/energy-utilities-roi-influencers/roi-nj-presents-the-roi-influencers-energy-and-utilities/?utm_source=ROI-NJ+MAIN+Newsletter+List+%282%2F4%2F19%29&utm_campaign=ee9cbf68df-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_06_20_02_53&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-ee9cbf68df-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D
  123. Capital Research Video on Green Ties to China: https://capitalresearch.org/article/how-china-designed-american-environmental-policy/
  124. China Influence of U.S.  Green Groups and U.S. Environmental Policy, Capital Research Center video:  https://capitalresearch.org/article/how-china-designed-american-environmental-policy/    
  125. Capital Research Center on Teen Vogue Influence of young female voters on Democrat policies: https://capitalresearch.org/article/teen-vogue-training-young-female-leftists/
  126. Good Energy News Reference: https://oilprice.com
  127. German Industry Shutting Down and Moving, due to high energy process, CNBC June 21, 2023 : https://www-cnbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/06/21/high-german-energy-prices-are-seeing-some-companies-relocate-bdi.html
  128. EIA Notice of Change in Calculating/Reporting Solar Primary Energy to use 3412 Btus/kWh, June 23, 2023: https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/change/
  129. WUWT Global Surface Temperature Chart 1880-2022: https://wattsupwiththat.com/uah-version-6/
  130. “Why Climate Change is Not an Emergency”, CO2 Coalition Presentations, May 27, 2023: https://co2coalition.org/media/why-climate-change-is-not-an-emergency/  
  131. Time Magazine, “The Modern World Can’t Exist Without These Four Ingredients. They All Require Fossil Fuels”, Vaclav Smil May 2022: https://time.com/6175734/reliance-on-fossil-fuels/
  132. ERCOT Dashboard: https://www.ercot.com
  133. EU Report and long list of references on the “DeIndustrialization of Europe” by forcing wind power on the citizens: 
    https://us1-campaign–archive-com.translate.goog/?u=a15449610a1df64c85f7499e1&id=5b33ebcfdc&e=59342c48f8&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=auto
  134. Causes of Blackouts in Europe, excellent paper, Jan. 2022: https://www-science–climat–energie-be.translate.goog/2022/01/07/les-blackouts-leurs-causes-et-consequences-economiques/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=auto
  135. NERC Summer Reliability Report, May 2023: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_SRA_2023.pdf
  136. Balancing Energy Security, Affordability, the Economy, Decarbonization and Security, Energy Policy Research Foundation: https://assets.realclear.com/files/2023/06/2210_eprinc_balancing_energy_security_affordability_and_decarbonization.pdf
  137. The Rise and Fall of the American Grid, American Affairs Journal, Fall, 2022: https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2022/08/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-american-electrical-grid/
  138. WSJ article on $400 Billion Loans for Green Energy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/green-energy-climate-loans-49fda73b?mod=hp_lead_pos7
  139. America’s Power, Editorial on the Importance of Coal, July 10, 2023: https://americaspower.org/the-need-for-sensible-epa-rules/
  140. America’s Power Key Takeaways of Winter Storm Elliott Report on the importance of coal: https://americaspower.org/new-report-evaluates-the-performance-of-electricity-resources-during-storm-elliott/
  141. Net Zero Reality Coalition: https://www.cfact.org/netzerorealitycoalition/
  142. WUWT On National Academy of Engineering Summer Report on decarbonization, July 11, 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/07/11/national-academies-climate-junk-summit-7-11-7-12-is-open-to-all/
  143. EPA Regulations will Destroy the American Power Grid, Ed Ireland Substack: https://edireland.substack.com/p/epa-proposes-anti-fossil-fuel-regulations?r=kv1a9&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
  144. Nuclear in the 1960’s. Our predecessors got lots of things done: 
    https://whatisnuclear.com/news/2023-07-03-film-about-pm1-microreactor-in-wyoming.html
Uncategorized

Repeal the IRA! Protect America’s Lifeblood of Energy and Electricity Supply

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The Rise and Decline of nations throughout history is well documented. Here are my thoughts on the how close the U.S. came to a steep decline of freedom, strength and prosperity due to the un-American energy policies of Obama and Biden. Energy and electricity are the Life-Blood of our country’s productive capacity and prosperity. The harm of harmful policies are not felt until decades later, such as those Obama implemented, which I will cover later. The IRA should be fully repealed by Congress, otherwise, the American electric Grid unreliability and electricity costs will increase as has been experienced in Germany, Spain, Hawaii and the UK.

The Green New Deal aka IRA

Reasonable cost, affordable, reliable and abundant energy is one important resource that made America strong. America once had the most reliable, affordable, resilient and robust electric Grid. That is until the Green New Deal came along. Codified into the so called, “Inflation Reduction Act” of 2022. If Kamala Harris would have won the election in November, the decline of America would have certainly accelerated. Energy and reliable electricity are the Life-Blood of America. Thankfully, President Trump was elected and some of the un-American policies of the Democrat Party, Obama and Biden are being corrected. Congress is working on a draft to correct the IRA, however, so far it does not go far enough to abolish the IRA. Alex Epstein wrote an excellent summary, worth reading, here. The Full repeal of the IRA is needed to keep America’s Life-Blood of Energy and Electricity Reliable & Affordable. Not doing so puts America on the same path as Spain, Germany, Hawaii and California. Call it a “Spain Spiral”.

The Changing World Order

Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Investments fame has published a book, “The Changing World order”. He has also posted a website and You Tube presentation which is a fascinating 45 minute history lesson of the changing world order and the rise and fall of empires. Here is a screenshot of his focus on four empires, the Dutch, British, U.S. and a rising China. Historical to current times. Had Kamala Harris been elected, Dalio’s projection of the U.S. decline, might have come to be. Why? Because in these modern energy intensive times conventional forms of energy, oil, gas, coal and nuclear are the foundation of American strength and hegemony.

I recommend watching Dalio’s You Tube presentation and his book, “Changing World Order”. This is relatively new, published this month. Previously, I have written my views on the U.S. Self-Sabotaging of our energy and electrical generation capacity. Here, Here, Here, Here and more.

Democrat Party and Other Un-American Organizations

The Democrat Party energy policies, in my opinion, could not have been improved on by Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping themselves to weaken America. The “War on Coal” and a review of Obama, Biden and the Democrat controlled Congress un-American policies are covered in these three articles:

“The War on Carbon, How it Came to Be”

“Are You Worried about the Future of the U.S.A.?    

 The Green Energy Crisis is Here, Part 1

Here is a reminder of the lasting effects of regulations. Obama implemented the EV Mandate in August 2012. Obama’s EPA also forced the EPA Endangerment Finding. It took over a decade for the harm to become noticed by the general public.

The 2022 (wrongly titled) Inflation reduction Act actually codifies Obama and Biden “Green New Deal” policies. They need to be completely repealed. Alex Epstein and Ed Ireland have done excellent articles detailing the incomplete work of Congress to support President Trump’s promises. Here and here.

Learning from Others

President Trump understands the importance of energy independence and a reliable electrical grid. In fact, one of his first EO’s was to declare an energy emergency. He is correct in doing so. Why? Because under Biden and with the hateful energy policies of Obama still in effect, America was headed down the same path of Net-Zero Carbon that Spain, UK, Germany and other Western countries have followed. The results should be studied.

Conclusions

The U.S. is on a similar path as Germany, the UK and Spain if the Renewables subsidies of the IRA are not repealed. The CATO Institute has provided a summary of the costs until 2050. Worse yet are the risks of unreliable power supply due to too much intermittent, unreliable, non-Dispatchable solar and wind capacity.

President Trump was correct in his Executive Order of January 20th entitled, “Unleashing American Energy”.

Electricity demand according to most respected organizations, is expected to grow by 50% in the year 2050. That means an increase of reliable capacity of about 600,000 MW of new generating capacity. The only proven source of this enormous capacity is from nuclear, gas and coal generation. The natural gas expansion is limited by manufacturing capacity, nuclear takes decades to implement. New coal plant capacity should be included in the portfolio of new electricity generation capacity. If it is not, we may in fact, follow the de-industrialization path of Germany and lose the lead in AI. Congress should support the full extent, 100% of President Trump’s Executive Order to “Unleash American Energy”, including the building of new clean coal plants.

Dick Storm, May14, 2025

References and for further research

  1. Full text of Congress House Bill # 5376: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376/text
  2. CATO summary of IRA-2022: https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/budgetary-cost-inflation-reduction-acts-energy-subsidies
  3. Tax Foundation summary of costs for green energy: https://taxfoundation.org/blog/inflation-reduction-act-ira-credits-repeal-reform/
  4. President Trump’s EO, “Unleashing American Energy” Jan. 20, 2025: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/unleashing-american-energy/
  5. Alex Epstein Substack article May 13 on the Importance of Repealing the IRA: https://open.substack.com/pub/alexepstein/p/why-the-proposed-phaseout-of-ira?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
  6. Ed Ireland Substack on Repeal of IRA, May 14, 2025: https://open.substack.com/pub/edireland/p/congress-is-not-repealing-the-green?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
  7. KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov,  speech on You Tube on Indoctrination and Dividing western countries from 1980’s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9TviIuXPSE
  8. Ray Dalio on the Rise and Fall of Nations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xguam0TKMw8
  9. “The War on Carbon, How it Came to Be”, Oct. 16, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/10/16/the-war-on-carbon-how-it-came-to-be/
  10. “Are You Worried about the Future of the U.S.A.?”     https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/01/21/are-you-worried-about-the-future-of-america/
  11.  The Green Energy Crisis is Here, Part 1, Sept. 17, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/29/the-green-energy-crisis-is-here-part-1/
  12. Fox News on Taxpayer funds to Democrats: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/exclusive-shady-trial-lawyer-pipeline-funneling-millions-democrats-report
  13. 114th Congress, Majority Staff Report, Obama’s Carbon Mandate, August 2015: http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/USSEWP080415.pdf
  14. The Coming Electricity Reliability Crisis and the Importance of Coal, Sept. 12, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/09/12/the-electricity-reliability-crisis-and-the-importance-of-american-coal/
  15. The Kingdom of Heaven Runs on Righteousness, The Kingdom of Earth Runs on Energy, Oct. 3, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/10/03/heaven-runs-on-righteousness-earth-runs-on-energy/
  16. Charley Reese’s Last Column, “545 vs. 300,000,000 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/11/27/charley-reeses-last-column-a-classic-commentary-written-over-twenty-years-ago/
  17.  Why is Western Civilization Self Sabotaging the Primary Energy that Provides 80% of the fuel for America’s Life-Blood of Reliable Electricity, with the War on Carbon?.     : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/12/17/why-is-western-civilization-self-sabotaging-the-primary-energy-sources-that-provide-80-of-the-fuel-for-americas-life-blood-of-reliable-electricity-with-the-war-on-carbon/
  18. Musings on the Self-Sabotaging Energy Policies and a Reminder of the History of the Rise and Fall of Nations:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/01/13/musings-on-self-sabotaging-energy-policies-and-a-reminder-of-the-history-of-the-rise-and-fall-of-nations/
  19. The EPA “Endangerment Finding” and why it Needs to Go, Feb. 2, 2025: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-1ZW
  20. The SWAMP MONSTER vs. 300 Million Americans, Feb. 21, 2025: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/02/21/the-swamp-monster-vs-the-best-interests-of-the-united-states-of-america/
  21. Thomas J. Shepstone Substack on Dick Storm’s “Primer on How to Ensure Electricity Security (and How to Destroy It)”:  https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/a-primer-on-how-to-ensure-energy?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false 
  22.  Existing EPA-Endangerment Rules Impact South Carolina Electricity Costs and Will Cause Rationing if the EPA Endangerment Finding Isn’t Repealed  Feb. 28, 2025: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/02/28/existing-epa-rules-increase-costs-and-will-cause-rationing-of-electricity-in-south-carolina-if-endangerment-finding-is-not-repealed/
  23. David Siegel videos on Climate Change: https://www.cuttingthroughthenoise.net/climate-curious 
  24. The EPA Endangerment Finding Needs to Go! Thomas Shepstone publishing of Dick Storm article, March 9, 2025: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/the-epa-endangerment-finding-needs?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false 
  25. The U.S. Self-Inflicted Electricity Generation Crisis was Created by GONGO the SWAMP Monster, March 19, 2025: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/03/19/the-u-s-self-inflicted-electricity-generation-crisis-was-created-by-gongo-the-swamp-monster-here-is-how-to-end-it/
  26. Coal Power, It is the End Result that Matters!:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/03/28/coal-power-it-is-the-end-result-that-counts/
  27. My Letter to Senator Davis on Coal Power in S.C. April 1, 2025: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/04/03/response-to-palmetto-electric-request-to-contact-our-s-c-senators/
  28. The Solution to America’s Electricity Generation Crisis: Build New Coal Plants Now! https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/04/18/the-solution-to-the-nations-coming-electricity-reliability-crisis-build-new-coal-plants/
  29.  Clean Energy Crisis, May 2, 2025     https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/05/02/clean-energy-crisis-2/
  30. Thomas J. Shepstone, edited version of Clean Energy Crisis on Substack, May 3, 2025: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/the-clean-energy-crisis-and-why-it?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
  31.  Reality of Building 125 GW of New Coal Power Generation Capacity, Then and Now: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/05/ 
  32.    NMA Map of Electricity Prices and coal power in lower 48 states: https://nma.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/coal-gen-map-2023.pdf
  33. WSJ article on “Economic Growth Depends on Electricity, Not Oil”, March 27, 2025: https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/economic-growth-now-depends-on-electricity-not-oil-40250941?st=cbzcRt  
  34. Bjorn Lomberg on the High Cost of Solar and Wind, Climate Change Dispatch, Jan. 2, 2025: https://climatechangedispatch.com/wind-solar-hidden-truth-behind-rising-electric-bills/
  35. Frazer Institute, “Hot Air, Cold Truths, Bjorn Lomberg, March 2025: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/hot-air-and-cold-truths-bjorn-lomborg
  36. Delaware County Insider, Wind and Solar are Expensive, Bjorn Lomberg, May 24,  2024: https://delawarevalleyjournal.com/lomborg-the-true-cost-of-wind-and-solar-energy/
  37. Yahoo Finance and National Post, March 2025, Bjorn Lomberg, Wind and Solar are Expensive: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/bjorn-lomborg-solar-wind-power-100008520.html
  38. Isaac Orr and Mitch Rolling, Energy Bad Boys, Outstanding article on Phasing out PTC’s, May 16, 2025: https://open.substack.com/pub/energybadboys/p/gops-phase-out-of-ira-subsidies-isnt?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
  39. Judge Glock comments on the IRA from City Journal:  Judge Glock
     https://lnkd.in/e-qtXsr4
     
Coal Power, economic prosperity and energy

The Reality of Building 125 GW of New Coal Plant Generation Capacity Then and Now

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It has been forecasted that the U.S. needs about 125 GW of new electricity generation capacity by 2030 and about 600 GW of new generation capacity by 2050. The combined maximum manufacturing of new nuclear, new wind and new solar cannot provide this growth in time. Previously written here, here and here. The Our World in Data graph showing worldwide capacity of total primary energy by sources shows the futility of expecting the new Demand for energy to be supplied from wind and solar.

The graph above illustrates the dismal contribution of wind and solar to the total Primary Energy needs of the world. Bjorn Lomborg (and others) has written numerous articles that document the poor capacity factor, high cost and unreliability of wind and solar after decades of spending billions.

The answer to providing the needed Primary Energy for electricity generation over the next twenty five years is to build more dispatchable electricity generation capacity from new natural gas, nuclear and coal plants. We need to build lots of new gas, nuclear and coal plants. Easy to write, harder to accomplish. That is the purpose of this article, to try to quantify the colossal design, manufacturing and construction supply-chain effort that needs to be accomplished on a fast-track basis.

New Generation Capacity Manufacturing Supply-Chain

The gas turbine supply-chain limitation was covered in my previous article here and by POWER Magazine here. Nuclear is the fuel that provides the largest carbon free capacity today and it is likely to be the fuel of choice in the future. However, building 125 GW of new electricity generation capacity by 2035 or so could with a Herculean effort be accomplished with new coal plant construction. This is about the same as the electricity generation capacity that has been shut down since 2010. The previous article discussed the 151 new coal plants that were planned in 2008 most of which were never built. Between now and 2035 we need to build the coal plants that were planned in 2008 and were never built.

The Coal Plant Supply-Chain That Was circa 1975-1980

In 1975 I was a project engineer for the startup and improvements for the 720 MW Roxboro Generating Station Unit #3. The superheater needed to be replaced with upgraded alloy due to design issues of temperature and steam distribution throughout the over 1500 individual flow circuits. The tubing material selected was 304H stainless steel. Over twenty miles of new tubing needed to be fabricated into 48 superheater assemblies, each comprised of 26 tube circuits about 120 feet long. The contract was signed about March of 1975 for delivery to site and installation in the fall outage the same year. The tubes had to be manufactured from stainless steel billets, drawn into tubing and the tubing bent, attached together into assemblies, stress relived in a furnace and welded together. The total superheater required dozens of truck loads for delivery from Chattanooga to Roxboro. The same project today would be possible but not in the same time frame. It will require more than a year or two to simply fabricate a superheater of this size and get it delivered. Much of the tubing and components would be sourced from Asia.

Remembering Combustion-Engineering

Let’s discuss Combustion-Engineering’s Chattanooga works in 1975. Here is an aerial picture of this magnificent facility.

The facility was over 88 acres under roof and included capabilities for manufacturing steel tubing, waterwalls, heavy walled headers, fabrication of tube assemblies as described above for the Roxboro superheater and also nuclear reactors and steam generators. I intentionally used the adjective magnificent to describe it. Here is a quote from my friend Tom who worked at C-E during this time period:

“I did a stint at CE in Chattanooga and still vividly recall the enormity of  the manufacturing capability. For instance 15,000 ton press that could bend 12” thick steel  Into a cylinder for a completed  nuclear vessel weighing 700 tons.

A Gang drill setup to drill 1600 holes through a 26” Inconel tube sheet for nuclear PWR steam generators. 

1000 ton crane to handle these fabrications and heat treat furnaces large enough to stress relieve them before shipment. What an experience to view and work with these marvels.”

The facility evolved and progressed over many years to become the pearl of manufacturing prowess that it was in 1975. Combustion-Engineering in these times was capable of producing steam generators that could power about 25,000 MW of electricity generation capacity each year. The business volume in 1977 dollars was about $1 Billion/year. The manufacturing volume was almost equal to the business profits of aftermarket maintenance and repairs. Being outstanding in design, manufacturing and services was a huge business for tens of thousands of employees. In 1978 Combustion-Engineering was # 125 on the Fortune 500 list of companies. Two competitors during this era with facilities similar to Combustion-Enegineering were Babcock & Wilcox and Foster-Wheeler. B&W was # 132 on Fortune’s list and Foster-Wheeler # 207.

Today Combustion Engineering and Foster-Wheeler U.S. shops are gone, B&W’s downsized but, thankfully, still in operation.

Today I discussed a replacement/repair of a high pressure header for a Utility coal steam generator in Texas. I was told the header is on emergency order and it will be on site this fall. The header is sourced from somewhere in Asia and welding of tube studs and completion of fabrication will be done in South Carolina. This is bout 24 weeks lead time for just one header. I described a 1350 MW steam generator in a previous article, here. Just to show a rough idea of the immensity of a large coal steam generator. The one described is the B&W Zimmer Plant, supercritical steam generator. In electricity generation capacity, it is nearly twice the size of Roxboro Unit #3.

How About Talent?

I was watching Mike Rowe on TV yesterday and he stated that today over 485,000 manufacturing jobs remain unfilled. Tens of thousands of highly skilled craftsmen such as the Boilermaker/Welders such as those shown below are needed. But, the training and education of the workforce is a topic for another day. Here is a recent WSJ article on building the craft workforce.

Building a new 1600 MW Coal Plant

One of the most recent coal plants built is the Prairie States Energy Center in southern Illinois. The plant construction is well documented by Bechtel and Prairie States. Here are some statistics to explain the immensity of the challenge of building a plant such as the Prairie States Energy Campus.

Now do the math. It will take about 78 new coal plants like Prairie States to produce 125,000 MW of electricity. Using the proportions of what it took about 13 years ago to build the Prairie States Energy campus would extrapolate to:

  • 12,870,000 yards of concrete
  • 3,276,000 tons of steel
  • 210,600 construction workers
  • 93,600 miles of electric cable, mostly copper
  • 9,360 miles of piping

This does not include the engineers and designers to prepare the engineering drawings, the factory personnel such as those once employed at the C-E Chattanooga Works described above or Foster-Wheeler’s Mountaintop Pennsylvania facility. I estimate that over 250,000 new engineers, technicians, craftsmen and other factory workers will need to be trained and employed to accomplish this huge task. Unfortunately, many of the trained and experienced engineers needed are like me and many of my friends, who are now retired. The next generation has a huge job to rebuild the supply-chain.

Conclusions

Needed is 600 GW of new reliable, affordable, dispatchable and preferably, U.S. made generation capacity. Satisfying this demand for new capacity will require more new gas, new coal and new nuclear plants to be built. As discussed above, the new gas turbine manufacturing capacity is at it’s limits and optimistically, about half of the needed 600 GW by 2050 can be provided by G-E, Mitsubishi, Siemens and a few others.

Nuclear today provides about 100 GW of electricity generation. Most of the nuclear plants providing this power were built over 40 years ago. It took over 30 years to build the first 100 GW of nuclear generation and yes, we should proceed full speed ahead on doing so again. All things considered, including manufacturing facilities, talent, forgings, high grade nuclear quality steel production and site construction challenges, doubling the 100 GW of existing nuclear capacity may take another 30 years. America misses both the manufacturing facilities such as C-E Chattanooga and others and the 125 GW of coal plant capacity that also has disappeared.

The solution, in my view, is build more coal plants and build them now. It will be difficult to ramp up the supply-chain, but we should begin ASAP. Building plants like Prairie States takes years. At best, about four years from the start of engineering to the first connection to the Grid and then it usually takes months of debugging and fine tuning to reach the full potential of a new plant.

The Roxboro Generating Station has been mentioned by me in many of my articles and talks. Why? Because I was employed at Roxboro as a field service engineer, senior startup engineer, operations superintendent, maintenance contractor and consultant over a fifty year career. I know (or at least remember it) Roxboro plant very well. A side note, Mr. Mendall Long, one of the Greatest Generation and past Manager of Fossil Plant Engineering told me late in his life, “Lad, you are the only guy I know that made a full career out of working on only three boilers” Mr. Long was referring to the Riley Boilers at Sutton and Roxboro Plants that I did indeed work on (amongst others) over a forty year period during his life-time. We miss extraordinary and courageous engineer/managers like Mr. Long.

Roxboro has a capacity of 2,462 MW. I use this plant as an example of the 125 GW’s of new power needed. It will take 50 new plants like Roxboro to produce 125,000 MW’s of coal plant capacity. I described the superheater replacement for Unit #3 above. That is only one unit. Roxboro has four operating units. The Prairie States Energy Campus is a better example because it is newer.

POWER Magazine wrote in October 2013: “The 1,600-MW Prairie State Energy Campus uses the latest coal technology to burn Illinois coal from the Lively Grove mine, located adjacent to the plant. In planning since 2001, the second unit of the two-unit, $4.93 billion plant entered commercial service in November 2012, thus completing the largest coal-fired plant built in the U.S. in 30 years.

The Prairie State Energy Campus (PSEC) is likely the last of the multi-unit coal-fired power plants that will be built in the U.S. in the foreseeable future. The most recently commissioned coal plants (SWEPCO’s 600-MW John W. Turk, Jr. and Duke Energy’s 825-MW Cliffside Unit 6) are single-unit plants with no firm plans for future expansion. The last two-unit coal-fired plants completed as a single project were Luminant’s Oak Grove power plant (2 x 800 MW) and We Energies’ Elm Road plant (2 x 615), both completed in 2010, but that’s where the similarity ends.”

As mentioned above, America should build 78 new plants similar to the Prairie States Energy Campus. We should begin now as the electricity generation crisis is real, not imagined. In 2008 over 150 new coal plants were planned. Most of these were cancelled. That was a mistake that needs to be corrected.

Dick Storm , May 7, 2025

References and for Further Research

  1. Prairie States Energy Campus Bechtel Statistics:  https://www.bechtel.com/projects/prairie-state-energy-campus/
  2. Wall Street Journal on Workforce Development and Training: https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/skilled-trades-high-school-recruitment-fd9f8257
  3. POWER Magazine article on the Prairie States Plant of the Year, October 2013: https://www.powermag.com/prairie-state-energy-campus-washington-county-illinois/
  4. POWER Magazine on Gas Turbine Supply Crunch: https://www.powermag.com/gas-powers-boom-sparks-a-turbine-supply-crunch/
  5. Howard Concrete Pumping article on concrete supplied to Prairie States Energy Plant: https://www.howardconcretepumping.com/prairie-state-energy-campus.html
  6. History of Foster-Wheeler and BHI: http://www.bhifw.com/eng/main/main.html
  7. FWEC Fortune 500 List #207 1978: https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500_archive/full/1978/201.html
  8. Global Energy Monitor on Cancelled Coal Plants: https://www.gem.wiki/Coal_plants_cancelled_in_2008
  9. How Can a 6,000 MW Utility in 2030 Become a 9,000 MW Utility in 2050 and Still Meet Net Zero Carbon? Update of last year’s article, May 2, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/05/02/how-can-a-6000-mw-regional-utility-in-2030-which-likely-will-be-a-9000-mw-utility-in-2050-achieve-net-zero-carbon-an-update-on-my-electricity-provider-in-south-carolina/
  10. NERC Long Term Reliability Assessment Report and including, Data Center Load Growth, December 2024: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_Long%20Term%20Reliability%20Assessment_2024.pdf
  11. Coal’s Final Battle, May 18, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/05/20/coals-final-battle/
  12. Tom Shepstone’s Substack repost of Dick Storm commentary, May 20, 2024: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/why-we-the-american-people-must-win?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
  13. Visualizing 100 Quadrillion BTUs. Shouldn’t Coal Remain in our Energy Mix?” : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/02/visualizing-100-quadrillion-btus-of-primary-energy-coal-should-remain-in-our-energy-mix/
  14. NMA Map of Electricity Prices and coal power in lower 48 states: https://nma.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/coal-gen-map-2023.pdf
  15. WSJ article on “Economic Growth Depends on Electricity, Not Oil”, March 27, 2025: https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/economic-growth-now-depends-on-electricity-not-oil-40250941?st=cbzcRt  
  16. Bjorn Lomberg on the High Cost of Solar and Wind, Climate Change Dispatch, Jan. 2, 2025: https://climatechangedispatch.com/wind-solar-hidden-truth-behind-rising-electric-bills/
  17. Frazer Institute, “Hot Air, Cold Truths, Bjorn Lomberg, March 2025: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/hot-air-and-cold-truths-bjorn-lomborg
    Delaware County Insider, Wind and Solar are Expensive, Bjorn Lomberg, May 24,  2024: https://delawarevalleyjournal.com/lomborg-the-true-cost-of-wind-and-solar-energy/
  18. Yahoo Finance and National Post, March 2025, Bjorn Lomberg, Wind and Solar are Expensive: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/bjorn-lomborg-solar-wind-power-100008520.html
  19. Alabama Attorney General is amongst 22 states in appeal to return to coal for power generation revival of the Grid: https://gulfcoastmedia.com/stories/alabama-attorney-general-calls-for-reviving-americas-energy-grid-with-coal,257548?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0XeLob6rYc5WaBBtSyuB7vHctTdzVhTJxJZ96bExtALJBFoqUPAJPKaY0_aem_8TNpNEKQSIdjNrJTJeBF8Q#//
  20. Life Powered article on the Unreliability of Wind & Solar in Texas, March 29, 2025: https://lifepowered.org/reliability-standards-to-reduce-the-cost-of-wind-and-solar-volatility-in-texas/
  21. We the People vs. The Ten Headed Swamp Monster     :  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/10/we-the-people-vs-net-zero-indoctrination-by-the-ten-headed-swamp-monster/
  22. The Magnificent and Indispensable Heat Engines Society Depends on: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/30/the-magnificent-and-indispensable-heat-engine-on-which-civil-society-depends-part-1-heat-engines-1-3-million-horsepower/ 
  23. The EPA Endangerment Finding Needs to Go! Thomas Shepstone publishing of Dick Storm article, March 9, 2025: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/the-epa-endangerment-finding-needs?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false 
  24. The U.S. Self-Inflicted Electricity Generation Crisis was Created by GONGO the SWAMP Monster, March 19, 2025: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/03/19/the-u-s-self-inflicted-electricity-generation-crisis-was-created-by-gongo-the-swamp-monster-here-is-how-to-end-it/
  25. Coal Power, It is the End Result that Matters!:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/03/28/coal-power-it-is-the-end-result-that-counts/
  26. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 2, The Reality of Replacing Conventional Forms of Energy, Jan. 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/06/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-2-some-facts-on-the-reality-of-replacing-conventional-forms-of-energy/
  27. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 3, The Transition that Isn’t, from the perspective of Minerals, Feb. 8, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/08/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-3-the-transition-that-isnt-from-the-perspective-of-minerals/
  28. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 4, The True Agenda for Climate Policies, Feb. 13, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/13/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-electricity-generation-and-environmental-protection-part-4-what-is-the-true-agenda-for-climate-policies/
  29. Energy Matters! March 2024 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/11/energy-matters/
  30. Update on Hawaii’s “Green New Deal” March 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/20/hawaii-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-the-green-new-deal-aka-inflation-reduction-act-here-is-an-update/
  31. The Rise and Fall of Nations from the perspective of nuclear power systems manufacturing: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/08/15/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nations-and-the-realities-of-energy/
  32. Thomas J. Shepstone posting on Substack of,  “Energy Matters If You Value the Life You Now Have and Don’t Want to Live Under Socialism
     March 11, 2024: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/energy-matters-if-you-value-the-life?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email  
  33. Threats to the Electric Grid, March 15, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/15/threats-to-the-grid-electricity-reliability/
    Giant Sucking Sound, March 18, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/18/giant-sucking-sound/
  34. “Update on Hawaii’s Glimpse of the Future of the Green New Deal” March 20, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/20/hawaii-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-the-green-new-deal-aka-inflation-reduction-act-here-is-an-update/
  35. The Reality of Electrifying Everything,  April 9, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/04/09/the-reality-of-electrifying-everything-and-the-primary-energy-required-to-generate-the-electricity/
  36. My Letter to Senator Davis on Coal Power in S.C. April 1, 2025: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/04/03/response-to-palmetto-electric-request-to-contact-our-s-c-senators/
  37. The Solution to America’s Electricity Generation Crisis: Build New Coal Plants Now! https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/04/18/the-solution-to-the-nations-coming-electricity-reliability-crisis-build-new-coal-plants/
  38.  Clean Energy Crisis, May 2, 2025     https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/05/02/clean-energy-crisis-2/
  39. Thomas J. Shepstone, edited version of Clean Energy Crisis on Substack, May 3, 2025: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/the-clean-energy-crisis-and-why-it?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email 
  40. Combustion-Engineering History-From Wikiwand: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Combustion_Engineering_Company Combustion Engineering (C-E) was a multi-national American-based engineering firm that developed nuclear steam supply power systems in the United States. Originally headquartered in New York City, C-E moved its corporate offices to Stamford, Connecticut, in 1973. C-E owned over three dozen other companies including Lummus Company, National Tank Companyand the Morgan Door Company. The company was acquired by Asea Brown Boveri in early 1990. The boiler and fossil fuel businesses were purchased by Alstom in 2000, and the nuclear business was purchased by Westinghouse Electric Company also in 2000. Merger with the Superheater Company During the Great Depression, C-E formed a partnership with the Superheater Company. The Locomotive Superheater Company was founded in 1910 to further the use of superheated steam in locomotives. The Superheater Company’s primary manufacturing facility was located in East Chicago, Indiana. In December 1948 stockholders approved a merger between the Combustion Engineering Company and Superheater Company. Following consolidation the corporation was called Combustion Engineering-Superheater Inc. In September 1950 the firm announced plans to build a large high-pressure generating unit for Virginia Electric & Power Company in Chester, Virginia. In 1953, the name Superheater was eliminated and the company took the more familiar name – Combustion Engineering, Inc. At this time, C-E primarily designed and built boiler assemblies for conventional power plants; those powered by coal and oil. In the mid-1950s, C-E also expanded its operations into oil and gas exploration, production, refining, and petrochemicalswith the acquisition of the Lummus Company located in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Lummus also supplied small industrial steam supply systems for oil field enhanced recovery. C-E was one of the major suppliers of boilers for US Navy steam-powered warships, including Liberty ships during World War II. Amongst many other warships, all of the 46 Knox-class frigates built during the 1960s and 1970s were equipped with a 1,200-pound-per-square-inch (8,300 kPa) C-E power plant. C-E also was a leader in the development of large coal utility steam supply systems which were used worldwide. C-E pioneered the tangential firing process used in modern large pulverized coal utility boilers. C-E maintained a large coal burning test unit at the Windsor, Connecticut site which allowed the Power Systems Group to test changes to boiler air-flow and other critical boiler design factors.
  41. Nuclear steam supply systems C-E’s nuclear power activity began in 1955 under Arthur Santry Jr. The history of the C-E Windsor, Connecticut campus dates to the early development of the nuclear submarine. From the mid-1950s through the early 1960s, Combustion Engineering, under federal government contract, produced nuclear fuel for the US Navy’s “Nuclear Navy” nuclear submarines. Also located at the Windsor site was the prototype marine nuclear propulsion training facility known as S1C, which was designed and constructed by C-E adjacent to its main campus. The S1C prototype was operated by C-E for more than ten years as an R&D and Naval training facility. After expiration of C-E’s contract, the S1C contract was subsequently awarded to Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL), who operated the unit until its decommissioning and dismantlement in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In the 1960s, C-E began selling nuclear power steam supply systems. The first commercial nuclear steam supply system was sold to Consumers Power Company of Michigan for the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station, which closed in 2022. C-E competed aggressively with General Electric and Westinghouse in this domain. In the late 1960s the company supplied nuclear reactor systems and fabricated uranium fuel for electric utility companies. A joint venture was announced in April 1968, involving the Combustion Engineering Company, Houston Natural Gas, and Ranchers Exploration & Development Corporation. The three businesses combined to search for uranium on 250,000 acres (1,000 km2) in New Mexico C-E was generally credited with a superior design, evidenced by the fact that the megawatt yield of its nuclear reactors was typically about 10% higher than that of comparable Westinghouse plants. The basis for this increase in efficiency was a computer-based system called the Core Operating Limit Supervisory System (COLSS) for design, and the Core Protection Calculator (CPC) for real-time control room operation, which leveraged almost 300 in-core neutron detectors and a patented algorithm to allow higher power densities. [citation needed] Combustion also fabricated a number of the Westinghouse reactor vessels and steam generators at its Chattanooga manufacturing facility under contracts with the Westinghouse company. C-E maintained a sophisticated nuclear reactor operator training simulator at the Windsor facility for support for customers of its nuclear steam supply systems…..
economic prosperity and energy, Energy, Electricity, Economic Prosperity and Environmental Protection, Fossil Fuels are Important, Keeping America Great, Nuclear Power Generation

CLEAN ENERGY CRISIS

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Title of the prescient 2023 book by the late Mr. Donn Dears.

Mr. Dears wrote many books and several are listed in the references below. His last book, “Clean Energy Crisis” was written before the announcement of many Data Centers were to be built and would drastically increase the rate of electricity usage. Mr. Dears wrote much on the flaws and fiction of Net-Zero Carbon and dependence on electricity by carbon-free forms of power. In fact, his statements written in 2023 regarding “What would it take to replace Fossil Fuels” are listed below: Remember, this is before the advent of AI Data Centers.

Here is what Donn Dears calculated in power generation by 2050 from the combination of Wind, PV Solar, and Nuclear:

  • 995,141 Wind turbines of 2.5 MW each
  • 3,918,996 MW of PV Solar
  • 881 new Nuclear Units like Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle Units 3 & 4

In summary of this, Mr. Dears writes: ” It is not possible to generate all the electricity needed for electrification of the economy (including the replacement of ICE vehicles and BEV’s, and the replacement of natural gas for heating with electric heat pumps) by relying on wind, PV Solar, or nuclear power, whether alone or in combination”

Thank you Donn Dears, we miss your great engineering talent and visionary work. RIP my friend, your numerous published books, blog and voluminous published technical articles warned us. It is my hope that the state and Federal Bureaucrats who create laws and regulations, will read your books and all available publications.

The Importance of Coal Power

Previous articles by me and others have highlighted the importance of coal power. Especially during peak Demand in the winter. As this is written, it is May and the period between March and May, in the U.S.A. lower 48 has always been a period of low demand, due to the mild weather not requiring much heating or cooling. The crisis periods are peak summer, July-August and winter December-February. Coal has unique and proven benefits for power generation. Such as long term on-site storage.

Here are a dozen articles that cover the importance of coal power for electricity reliability, affordability, Dispatchability and National security.

  1. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 2, The Reality of Replacing Conventional Forms of Energy, Jan. 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/06/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-2-some-facts-on-the-reality-of-replacing-conventional-forms-of-energy/
  2.  Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 3, The Transition that Isn’t, from the perspective of Minerals, Feb. 8, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/08/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-3-the-transition-that-isnt-from-the-perspective-of-minerals/
  3. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 4, The True Agenda for Climate Policies, Feb. 13, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/13/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-electricity-generation-and-environmental-protection-part-4-what-is-the-true-agenda-for-climate-policies/
  4. Energy Matters! March 2024 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/11/energy-matters/
  5. Update on Hawaii’s “Green New Deal” Hawaii was one of the first states to recklessly shut down their one, lowest cost electricity producing coal plant. Check the results a few years later when there is no GRID to import coal power from other states as California does. March 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/20/hawaii-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-the-green-new-deal-aka-inflation-reduction-act-here-is-an-update/
  6. The Rise and Fall of Nations from the perspective of nuclear power systems manufacturing: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/08/15/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nations-and-the-realities-of-energy/
  7. Thomas J. Shepstone posting on Substack of,  “Energy Matters If You Value the Life You Now Have and Don’t Want to Live Under Socialism https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/energy-matters-if-you-value-the-life?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email  
  8. Threats to the Electric Grid, March 15, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/15/threats-to-the-grid-electricity-reliability/
  9. The U.S. Self-Inflicted Electricity Generation Crisis was Created by GONGO the SWAMP Monster, March 19, 2025: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/03/19/the-u-s-self-inflicted-electricity-generation-crisis-was-created-by-gongo-the-swamp-monster-here-is-how-to-end-it/
  10. Coal Power, It is the End Result that Matters! That is if you want reliability and reasonable cost power:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/03/28/coal-power-it-is-the-end-result-that-counts/
  11. My Letter to Senator Davis on Coal Power in S.C. April 1, 2025: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/04/03/response-to-palmetto-electric-request-to-contact-our-s-c-senators/
  12. “The Value of Coal”, by Fred Palmer and Frank Clemente, “Coal Zoom” March 2025: https://www.coalzoom.com/article.cfm?articleid=39111
  13. The Solution to America’s Electricity Generation Crisis: Build New Coal Plants Now! https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/04/18/the-solution-to-the-nations-coming-electricity-reliability-crisis-build-new-coal-plants/

Conclusions

Generation of the power required for our country to remain the #1 world economy and to sustain our high quality of life will require much more electricity generation capacity. The EIA, NEMA and IEA forecast that electricity demand by 2050 will increase by 50%. (In my opinion plus the opinions of Stephen Heins, Chris Wright, Thomas Shepstone and others… this is conservative considering AI Data centers and plans to reshore manufacturing)

Satisfying this Demand increase will need to come from conventional forms of proven Primary Energy. Those proven forms of primary energy for electricity generation are natural gas, nuclear, coal and hydro-electric.

A 50% increase in capacity will be about 600 GW of generation capacity from the current 1, 200 GW of installed capacity. The 50% increase is also reported by NEMA report. So what sources of power can supply this enormous amount of growth of electricity generation Demand?

Let’s be realistic. For reliable, Dispatchable power, 24/7 that generation must come from coal, gas or nuclear. Here is my take on this. For gas power production G-E has reported record sales and the shops are full till about 2030. They hope to produce about 54 GW of power production by 2030. Let’s say with facilities modernization and expansion by 2050 they can produce say 300 GW more. That gets us to about 350 GW by 2050. Yes, I know there are also other Gas Turbine manufacturers such as Mitsubishi and Siemens. But….in my view we are already too dependent on “Just in Time” pipeline supplied gas. America is now about 45% dependent on natural gas for electricity generation.

Nuclear is well proven and has provided about 20% of our electricity for decades. However, expansion takes time and the Supply-Chain needs to be rebuilt. Back to Donn Dears forecast of 881 new nuclear plants by 2050. We must remember it took Georgia Power about ten years to build the 2200 MW expansion at Plant Vogtle. So, nuclear should be included in the portfolio of new generation. However, the entire U.S. Fleet of about 94 operating nuclear units took about 30 years to design and construct. 1957-1987. The current operating nuclear plants represent 97 GW.

I know this is rough, back of the envelope estimating, but so are all forecasts.

So, if gas plants can provide say 350 GW of new capacity and new nuclear units another 200 GW (I may be optimistic on doubling existing fleet capacity, considering the age of existing plants and the fact that some will be retired by 2050). Where do we get the remaining 50+ GW of required electricity generation capacity? I predict much more than 50 GW of new coal or other Dispatchable power will be required before 2050 and we must absolutely consider the retirements of existing coal plants. According to the Washington Times article, over 117 coal plants are scheduled to be shut down by 2030.

My suggestion is build at least 125 GW of new coal plants. This is about the same capacity as has been shut down and demolished since Obama was President. It will not be easy to do so.

A large coal plant can be imploded with explosives in about ten seconds and reduced to a pile of rubble as Green supporters cheer. However, to build a magnificent, Dispatchable, Reliable, and Affordable 600 MW coal plant will take about five years after the permitting is completed.

My next article will be on the challenges of building 125 GW of new coal plants.

Dick Storm, May 2, 2025

References and for Further Research using respected and factual sources

  1. EIA Forecast of electricity growth 2020-2050 (Also see reference #195 by NEMA): https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/ieo/consumption/sub-topic-03.php
  2. EIA Current Installed Electricity Generation Capacity by Nameplate as of 2023, 1,189,492 MW: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-in-the-us-generation-capacity-and-sales.php
  3. EIA Operating Nuclear Plants as of April 2025, 97GW: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65104
  4. Donn Dears book, “Clean Energy Crisis” available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRH737HM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=101IJSF3ORQFO&keywords=books+donn+dougherty+dears&qid=1672668053&sprefix=books+donn+dougherty+dears,aps,85&sr=8-1
  5. NERC Long Term Reliability study: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_LTRA_2021.pdf
  6. POWER Magazine, May 2025, “World Nuclear Power Projected to Rise by 100 GW by 2035” : https://www.powermag.com/group-projects-100-gw-rise-in-global-nuclear-power-capacity-across-next-decade/?utm_source=omeda&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pwrnucleardirect+eletter&oly_enc_id=3214I3524889A9B
  7. Self Sabotage the Electric Grid: WSJ January 2023:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/america-self-sabotages-its-electrical-grid-renewable-fossil-fuel-power-11672685320
  8. The Christmas Grid Emergency: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-christmas-electric-grid-emergency-11672091317?mod=article_inline
  9. World Nuclear News, France to Build more Nuclear Plants: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/French-Senate-adopts-bill-on-accelerating-nuclear
  10. Capital Research Center on Al Gore’s 30 years of wrong predictions: https://capitalresearch.org/article/al-gores-30-years-of-climate-errors-part-1/
  11. James Brooks, RBAC on bringing improved living conditions to Billions: https://rbac.com/rbacs-role-in-bringing-energy-to-a-billion-people/
  12. Cyrus Brooks Video on Renewables, Outstanding communication in 2 minutes: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cyrus-brooks-03274713_energy-power-energybills-ugcPost-7040102595239055360-BoVt?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop 
  13. The Real Price of Wind and Solar: https://www.wsj.com/articles/renewable-energy-balancing-costs-united-kingdom-energy-bills-9795e48d?mod=opinion_lead_pos4
  14. The Critic: “The End of Civilization, 2035” : https://thecritic.co.uk/2035-the-end-of-civilisation/
  15. New York Post, Get Ready for Lights out and Heat off in 2040: https://nypost-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/nypost.com/2023/02/09/get-ready-for-the-lights-and-heat-to-go-out/amp/
  16. The Critic: Energy Planning in the UK, a Horror Story: https://thecritic.co.uk/british-energy-planning-a-horror-story/
  17. Cowboy State Daily, March 2023: https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/03/10/letter-to-the-editor-children-should-be-taught-what-energy-is-so-they-can-fight-idiocy/
  18.  S & P Global China Coal Plans, April 20, 2022: https://cleanenergynews.ihsmarkit.com/research-analysis/china-seeks-to-perform-balancing-act-with-latest-national-ener.html
  19. NREL Solar cost Info: https://www.nrel.gov/solar/market-research-analysis/solar-installed-system-cost.html
  20. LLNL TOTAL PRIMARY ENERGY FLOW CHART 2021: https://flowcharts.llnl.gov
  21. EIA Total Energy Sources, 2021 including Pie Chart & Fuels 1950-2021: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/us-energy-facts/
  22. St. Louis Fed (FRED) Energy & Economy: https://www.stlouisfed.org/search#siteresults_e=0&siteresults_q=%20Energy%20&siteresults_o=%2CRelevance
  23. Washington Examiner Feb, 2, 2023. Anti-Police and Environmental Extremists have similar Goals, destroy the American System: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/fairness-justice/anti-police-and-environmentalist-activists-share-the-same-goal-the-destruction-of-the-american-system
  24. Ken Wilson, P. Eng. Canada, IPCC vs. Facts, CO2 Coalition Feb.. 2023:  https://co2coalition.org/publications/ipcc-vs-the-facts-the-case-for-climate-realism/
  25. CO2 Coalition, Publications, All Excellent: https://co2coalition.org/publication_category/member-publications/
  26. GWPF UK Study, Where are the Engineers” By Professor Michael Kelly : https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2020/05/KellyDecarb-1.pdf
  27. GWPF NZ Professor, Michael Kelly: http://www.bryanleyland.co.nz/power-industry-stuff.html
  28.  Samuel Furfari,  “Hydrogen, an old Idea and still Windy”: https://www.europeanscientist.com/en/features/hydrogen-a-century-old-idea-and-still-windy/
  29. New England Electricity Sources during cold February week: https://blackmon.substack.com/p/saturdays-energy-absurdity-meredith/comments
  30. U.S. Dept of Energy Plan to Net Zero on NPR Feb. 4, 2023:  https://www.npr.org/2023/02/02/1148370220/biden-renewable-energy-goals
  31. Paul Harvey, “If I Were the Devil” A old story, prescient today to watch and listen to this wise man’s comments from 1964 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9NoQHgjM_0
  32. A newspaper article updating the fact that we did not listen, on Paul Harvey’s classic radio talk, “If I were the Devil”: https://www.joplinglobe.com/opinion/geoff-caldwell-paul-harvey-warned-and-we-didnt-listen/article_0f5c948e-c180-11ec-941d-8becd457c17d.html
  33. Canary Media Electrify Everything, Feb. 6, 2023:  https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/electrification/home-of-the-future-climate-friendly-electrified-and-closer-than-ever?utm_campaign=canary&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=244754760&_hsenc=p2ANqtz–6rlMJjZBNphFujAKeUSOclhM7MDo3MAq3t8u3MAn-Hv5pscN1RZ8R1qq_RNf10dSqng0r9Wbyq214_bxo0U_i_LgE4Bn5CS-Zttgn5ClFXBvgoBU&utm_source=newsletter
  34. Judith Curry Blog, 2016, “Balancing the Grid” : https://judithcurry.com/2016/09/12/balance-and-the-grid/
  35. American Coalition of Clean Coal Energy, 2016 Report on Economics: http://www.americaspower.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Family-Energy-Costs-2016.pdf
  36. WUWT on Use of Academic Studies, Feb 7, 2023, Includes good links to Planning Engineer and Economic consequences of unreliable power: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/01/12/academics-and-the-grid-part-i-i-dont-think-that-study-means-what-you-think-it-means/
  37. USGS List of Critical Materials/Metals: https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/us-geological-survey-releases-2022-list-critical-minerals
  38. Paul Driessen list of Billionaire Climate Activists: https://climatechangedispatch.com/billionaire-climate-elites-have-their-own-rules-and-agenda/
  39. IEA 2021 Energy Report, Exec. Summary: https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2021/executive-summary
  40. BP Statistical Review 2021 (released (July 2022): https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/business-sites/en/global/corporate/pdfs/https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/business-sites/en/global/corporate/pdfs/energy-economics/statistical-review/bp-stats-review-2022-full-report.pdfenergy-economics/statistical-review/bp-stats-review-2022-full-report.pdf
  41.  Germany’s Nuclear Power Implosion July 2022:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/germanys-nuclear-implosion-bundestag-robert-habeck-energy-europe-russia-11657572926?st=i8v3nn5fczebec0&reflink=share_mobilewebshare
  42. World Nuclear Assoc.  U.S. Uranium Mining in U.S Profile, Nov. 2021: https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-t-z/us-uranium-mining.aspx
  43. Inside Sources, Creating our Own Energy Crisis, NMA: https://insidesources.com/creating-our-own-electricity-crisis/
  44. NMA Statement, DOE Action on Uranium Reserve to bring Uranium Mining back to U.S. A Good First Step: https://nma.org/2022/07/01/doe-action-on-uranium-reserve-is-an-important-first-step/
  45. Framatome You Tube video of steam generator replacement: https://youtu.be/RqGFI76yj9E
  46. Framatome Manufacturing video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9WfWIKkXsc
  47. Bjorn Lomborg Science Direct, Jan. 20233, We should adapt not adopt drastic changes to the way we live. Excellent fact and science based common sense: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162520304157
  48. Influence watch, Sierra Club: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/sierra-club/
  49. Robert Stilson Page at Capital Research on Biden Cabinet Members: The Biden Administration connections. Hope you might find it helpful: https://www.influencewatch.org/hub/biden-administration/
  50. Bloomberg Beyond Carbon: https://www.beyondcarbon.org
  51. Sierra Club, Beyond Coal website: https://coal.sierraclub.org
  52. Sierra Club Success stories: https://coal.sierraclub.org/the-campaign/success-stories
  53.  WSJ Article on Sri Lanka “Green Revolution” July 14, 2022: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sri-lankas-green-new-deal-was-a-human-disaster-gotabaya-rajapaksa-borlaug-synthetic-fertilizers-hunger-organic-agriculture-11657832186?mod=MorningEditorialReport&mod=djemMER_h
  54. Woke Anedote, Ron Clutz:   https://rclutz.com/2022/07/12/woke-antidote/
  55. EIA Energy Fact Sheet, 2022: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/us-energy-facts/
  56. VOX, “Electrify Everything” August 2020: https://www.vox.com/podcasts/2020/8/27/21403184/saul-griffith-ezra-klein-show-solve-climate-change-green-new-deal-rewiring-america
  57. World Nuclear Assoc. Small Modular Reactors: https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/nuclear-power-reactors/small-nuclear-power-reactors.aspx
  58. POWER Mag, Article on HELE Plants 2018: https://www.powermag.com/could-high-efficiency-low-emissions-hele-technology-revive-u-s-coal-power/
  59. World Coal Assoc. : https://www.worldcoal.org/clean-coal-technologies/clean-coal-2/
  60. Climate Fact Check from Junk Science, March 7, 2023: https://junkscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Climate-Fact-Check_February-2023-Edition_v2.pdf
  61. Dr. Faith Birol, IEA World Energy Crisis May Get Worse, Bloomberg, July 11, 2022: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-12/worst-of-global-energy-crisis-may-be-ahead-iea-s-birol-warns
  62. Reuters, IEA Head Warns of Energy Crisis Ahead, July 11, 2022: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/iea-warns-against-energy-crisis-deepening-fossil-fuel-reliance-2022-05-23/
  63.  World Economic Forum States that Gas Prices must go higher: https://climatechangedispatch.com/world-economic-forum-save-democracy-gas-prices-go-higher/
  64. The Energy Crisis will Worsen, Daniel Yergin, July 11, 2022: https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/energy-crisis-will-deepen-no-supply-by-daniel-yergin-2022-07
  65. Short Link to No Energy=No Power July 13, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/13/no-energyno-power-extremists-want-more-than-clean-air/
  66. Australia Energy Crisis July 1, 2022: https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-warning-from-australias-power-crisis-green-energy-anthony-albanese-11655659465?mod=Searchresults_pos5&page=1
  67. Judith Curry July 15, 2022: https://judithcurry.com/2022/07/16/week-in-review-climate-edition-4/
  68. CFACT, Where wind is used, prices soar excellent essay on the true cost of wind power, March 2023: https://www.cfact.org/2023/03/07/electricity-prices-are-soaring-in-heavy-wind-energy-states/?mc_cid=993d261e3e&mc_eid=2f8550900e
  69. Feasibility of Achieving Net-Zero Carbon by 2050, by Professor Michael Kelly: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/04/feasibility-for-achieving-a-net-zero-economy-for-the-u-s-by-2050/
  70. Wind Power Report by IRENA : https://www.irena.org/Energy-Transition/Technology/Wind-energy
  71. Judith Curry Website on Cost of wind power:  https://judithcurry.com/2015/05/12/true-costs-of-wind-electricity/
  72. The Conversation on Why are Household Electricity Prices Going Up If Wind is so Cheap?: https://theconversation.com/renewables-are-cheaper-than-ever-so-why-are-household-energy-bills-only-going-up-174795
  73. Boston Energy Costs High, Feb. 2023: https://www.bostonsolar.us/solar-blog-resource-center/blog/why-are-energy-costs-so-high-this-winter/
  74. Electricity Prices U.S. by EIA, Feb. 2023: https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/tables/pdf/7ctab.pdf
  75. Climate Policies will Cost Germany 960 + Billion and still will not make much difference…..:https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/08/claim-climate-change-will-cost-germany-960-billion-by-2050/
  76. 41 Realities on Energy, By Mark Mills: 
    https://fee-org.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/fee.org/articles/41-inconvenient-truths-on-the-new-energy-economy/amp      
  77. WSJ EV Sales Jolt, Jan 2023:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-ev-sales-jolted-higher-in-2022-as-newcomers-target-tesla-11672981834
  78. WSJ Coal Provides the Fuel Needed for Germany to Keep the Lights on in 2022: https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-coal-energy-electricity-renewables-4700b442?mod=opinion_lead_pos2
  79. Visual Capitalist Coal in Asia, March 2023: https://elements.visualcapitalist.com/asias-biggest-sources-of-electricity-by-country/
  80. Daily Caller. Biden’s EPA Rule to Kill Off Coal Plants, March 8, 2023: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://dailycaller.com/2023/03/08/biden-epa-new-regs/&source=gmail&ust=1678615516765000&usg=AOvVaw0di3ndkkR73iVUOKpvIzfh
  81. Vaclav Smil book, “How the World Really Works” available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/How-World-Really-Works-Science/dp/B09FC3D9ZQ/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=635981343309&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9010739&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16468172001605479783&hvtargid=kwd-1662165196696&hyd
  82. Europe’s Industry Crippled by high Energy Costs NYT, Sept. 2022: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/19/business/europe-energy-crisis-factories.html
  83. Power Engineering article on Hydrogen Hub: https://www.power-eng.com/policy-regulation/doe-encourages-33-groups-to-submit-regional-clean-hydrogen-hub-applications/
  84. Is Green Energy China’s Trojan Horse? Western Standard by Joseph FOURNIER, OCT. 2022: https://www.westernstandard.news/opinion/is-green-energy-the-chinese-communist-partys-trojan-horse/article_6bbc2b04-50a5-11ed-bdc4-9b18b8d01f80.html
  85. China to build 106 GW of new coal plants March 2023: https://chinadialogue.net/en/energy/two-sessions-chinese-provinces-push-coal-and-clean-energy/
  86. WUWT Post, ”Gas Generated Electricity is less expensive than Wind”: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/03/gas-power-is-cheaper-than-wind-despite-carbon-briefs-claims/
  87. Dr. Judith curry, Climate Uncertainty review by WUWT: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/03/judith-curry-part-1-presentation-about-her-new-book-tom-nelson-podcast-77/
  88. WSJ LNG Paths from Texas to France: https://www.wsj.com/articles/american-fracked-gas-ukraine-invasion-europe-import-9e5cc725?mod=hp_lead_pos7
  89. Alex Epstein, Talking Points on the Importance of Energy for Human Flourishing: https://alexepstein.substack.com/p/some-of-my-favorite-talking-points?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
  90. WUWT Energy and Military Strength, March 3, 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/03/russias-biggest-weapon-and-chinas-too-is-fossil-fuel-energy/
  91. Capital Research Center: Ken Braun’s latest at Real Clear Energy: https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2023/05/16/facebooks_esg_agenda_went_down_to_georgia_and_trashed_a_trophy_fishing_lake_899609.html
  92. Capital Research info on Sierra Club: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/sierra-club/
  93. Capital Research background and funding estimate for Planned Parenthood, which is allied with the Sierra Club and has much influence on voters: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/planned-parenthood-federation-of-america/
  94. Finland GTK Time to Wake up Slide Presentation: https://www.gtk.fi/en/research/time-to-wake-up/
  95. Heartland Institute 2015 Summary of Obama Carbon Rules: https://heartland.org/opinion/senate-exposes-epa-green-group-secret-collusion-on-carbon-rules/
  96. CNBC Interview with Liberty Energy CEO, Chris Wright: https://lnkd.in/gyeD9Jdf  
  97. China buying Russian oil, gas and coal, Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/asian-buyers-russian-oil-gas-coal-2022-02-22/
  98. China-Russian Energy Deal, February 2022: https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/russia-china-may-sign-energy-other-deals-amid-moscow-tension-with-west-2022-02-03/
  99. Russia overtakes Saudi Arabia as World’s largest oil supplier, June 20, 2022 Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-20/china-buys-7-5-billion-of-russian-energy-with-oil-at-record
  100. Korea Times, China depends on Sanctioned Russian Fuel, June 20, 2022: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/world/2022/06/501_331352.html
  101. Utility Dive, Capacity Auction Prices, June 25,2022: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/pjm-capacity-auction-nuclear-solar-coal-prices/625861/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202022-06-22%20Utility%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:42604%5D&utm_term=Utility%20Dive
  102. Detroit News, Consumers Energy to End Coal Use in 2025: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2022/06/23/michigan-panel-approves-consumers-energy-plan-end-coal-use-2025/7716918001/
  103. Alliant and WEC Change Plans to Retire Coal to Meet Demand, June 22, 2022: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/wisconsin-utilities-coal-retirement-miso-delay/626005/
  104. WSJ Report on Ameren Keeping Rush Island Operating to Satisfy Demand June 10, 2022:https://www.wsj.com/articles/old-coal-plant-neared-retirement-but-now-its-needed-to-keep-the-lights-on-11654858801?mod=djem_EnergyJournal
  105. WSJ May 8, 2022, Power Plants Struggling With Electricity Shortages to Keep Power on: https://www.wsj.com/articles/electricity-shortage-warnings-grow-across-u-s-11652002380?cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_2&cx_artPos=0&mod=WTRN#cxrecs_s 
  106. WSJ June 18, 2022, West Risks Blackouts From Drought and loss of Hydroelectric Capacity: https://www.wsj.com/articles/west-risks-blackouts-as-hydroelectric-power-dries-up-11624008601?mod=article_inline 
  107. WSJ, Opinion, May 27, 2022, Jason Hayes, “Why Blackouts are Coming to Michigan” Regarding shutdown of Palisades Nuclear Generating Plant: https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-electricity-blackouts-are-coming-to-michigan-nuclear-power-plant-green-energy-renewable-climate-11653685521?cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_2&cx_artPos=5&mod=WTRN#cxrecs_s
  108. NERC Warning of Blackout Risk: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/north-american-electric-reliability-corp-warns-of-increased-risk-of-grid-blackouts-this-summer/
  109. The Guradian (UK) China’s Premier Calls For More Coal Plants, June 24, 2022: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/24/chinese-premier-calls-for-more-coal-production-as-electricity-demand-soars 
  110. Global Food Supply at Risk Due to High Energy Prices, The Guardian, June 25, 2022: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jun/25/our-global-food-supply-is-at-risk-when-high-gas-prices-limit-the-creation-of-fertiliser
  111. US and World Coal Reserves Map: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Coal-reserves-volumes-by-countries-of-the-world-3_fig1_328037099
  112. EIA 2nd reference on World Coal Reserves, EIA 2011: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=2930
  113. American Geosciences institute, World Coal Reserves: https://www.americangeosciences.org/critical-issues/maps/interactive-map-coal-resources-united-states
  114. EIA Total Energy Use 1950-2020: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=43515
  115. NZ/UK Professor Michel Kelly & Bryan Leyland Web page:  http://www.bryanleyland.co.nz/power-industry-stuff.html
  116. Professor Michael Kelly web page:   https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2020/05/KellyDecarb-1.pdf
  117. WUWT Electricity Prices Rising Due to Wind & Solar Installations, Feb. 22, 2023:https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/02/20/wind-solar-and-household-electricity-prices/
  118. Climate Depot website for renewables production costs: https://www.climatedepot.com/2018/01/25/who-would-have-thought-nations-with-more-renewables-have-more-expensive-electricity/
  119. Vogtle Nuclear Plant Update, also info on SCE&G Summer 2&3, Feb. 20, 2023:  https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/02/21/still-more-vogtle-nuclear-delays-how-will-it-end/ 
  120. Union of Concerned Scientists Clarification on Nuclear Power, 2018: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2018/11/23/ucs-clarifies-stance-on-nuclear-power/
  121. “Renewables are cheaper than 99% of coal plants” Utility Dive, Feb. 9, 2023: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/renewables-cheaper-energy-than-99-percent-of-us-coal-plants-just-energy-transition/642393/
  122. Capital Research Center information on Wild Earth Guardians: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/wildearth-guardians/
  123. Joe Goffman Atty in EPA Revolving Door of well funded non-Profits and EPA: http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/USSEWP080415.pdf
  124. Shelly Moore Capito Opinion in WVA “Intelligencer” Newspaper, July 2022: https://www.theintelligencer.net/opinion/local-columns/2022/07/joe-goffman-the-wrong-choice-to-help-lead-epa/  
  125. March 2022 Letter from Congressmen to Janet Yellen complaining of Russia Influence of Funds to NGO’s: https://www.scribd.com/document/564227085/RSC-Letter-to-Treasury-on-Russia#
  126. Gina McCarthy employee wage record on NRDC-Action Fund 990 https://www.nrdcactionfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/nrdc-actionfund-990-2020.pdf  Biden Administration people. Robert Stilson Blog is:  https://www.influencewatch.org/hub/biden-administration/
  127. Washington Post, Earth First Eco Terrorist Group with leader (Tracy Stone-Manning) now part of Biden Administration, BLM Dept: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/07/14/did-bidens-pick-lead-bureau-land-management-support-eco-terrorism/
  128. Paris Based Liberty Group on Russia Funding of Anti-EU or U.S. Domestic Energy: https://www.fondapol.org/en/study/freedoms-at-risk-the-challenge-of-the-century/
  129. Business Insider, Links of Russian Funds to NRDC Funding to fight Fracking: https://www.businessinsider.com/a-russian-linked-company-in-bermuda-is-funneling-millions-to-us-anti-fracking-groups-2015-1
  130. Russia Dark Money to EU and U.S. Environmental Groups to fight Hydraulic Fracturing: https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/596304-investigate-russias-covert-funding-of-us-anti-fossil-fuel-groups/  
  131. Washington Examiner, 2011, Russia Funds Invested in Anti-Fracking: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/russian-funded-environmental-group-gave-millions-to-anti-fracking-groups
  132. Gatestone Institute on Russia Funding Environmental NGO’s: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18330/russia-funding-environmental-groups
  133. Big Green Radicals, 2014  : https://freebeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/epa-report.pdf
  134. John Kerry, Far Left Support, Fox News Aug 2022: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/john-kerrys-climate-office-rife-ties-far-left-green-groups
  135. CRC, This profile deals with the Department of the Interior: https://www.influencewatch.org/government-agency/biden-administration-department-of-the-interior/
  136.  the Department of Energy: https://www.influencewatch.org/government-agency/biden-administration-department-of-energy/
  137. The EPA: https://www.influencewatch.org/government-agency/biden-administration-independent-agencies/#environmental-protection-agency
  138.  the WH Council on Environmental Quality: https://www.influencewatch.org/government-agency/biden-administration-executive-office-of-the-president/#council-on-environmental-quality
  139.  the WH Office of Domestic Climate Policy: https://www.influencewatch.org/government-agency/biden-administration-executive-office-of-the-president/#office-of-domestic-climate-policy
  140.  The Office of Science and Technology Policy: https://www.influencewatch.org/government-agency/biden-administration-executive-office-of-the-president/#office-of-science-and-technology-policy
  141. section on environmental group connections in this blog post from June 2021: https://capitalresearch.org/article/nonprofits-in-the-biden-administration-special-interest-and-advocacy-groups/
  142. EPA Retains Tools to Harm Coal Power Production, Utility Dive, July 1, 2022: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/supreme-court-epa-GHG-carbon-power-plant/626456/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202022-07-01%20Utility%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:42837%5D&utm_term=Utility%20Dive
  143. EPA New Source Review  Settlements Summaries: https://www.gem.wiki/EPA_Coal_Plant_Settlements
  144. EPA Settlements on NSR violations by WEPCO 2003: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/wisconsin-electric-power-company-wepco-clean-air-act-civil-settlement 
  145. Dissertation on the Sierra Club Success of Beyond Coal Campaign 2020: https://www.proquest.com/openview/b734be1b4fa402463fbb2ee03a7993e5/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
  146. Inside the War on Coal Politico, The Agenda 2015: https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/05/inside-war-on-coal-000002/
  147.  NRDC China Office: https://chinadevelopmentbrief.org/ngos/natural-resources-defense-council-nrdc/ 
  148.  Government Accountability Office Report on Environmental Protection Agency–Application of Publicity or Propaganda and Anti-Lobbying Provisions
  149. EPA Lobbying, 2015: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-326944 
  150.  NRDC About us and link to IRS 990 Form: https://www.nrdcactionfund.org/about/
  151. Influence Watch, NRDC page: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/natural-resources-defense-council-nrdc/
  152. Washington Examiner: Gina McCarthy CEO of NRDC: https://eelegal.org/washington-examiner-gina-mccarthy-and-nrdc-together-again/
  153. Wrong Kind of Green, NRDC and Source Watch: https://www.wrongkindofgreen.org/the-group-of-ten/natural-resources-defense-council/
  154. Bezos awards $100 million to NRDC : https://www.nrdc.org/media/2020/201116
  155. Bezos plans to give Billions to Environmental Org’s: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/20/jeff-bezos-pledges-1-billion-to-conservation-through-bezos-earth-fund.html
  156. Activist Facts,  Environmental Report (Follow the Money): https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/19-natural-resources-defense-council/
  157. Washington Examiner 2013 EPA and Sue and Settle Lawsuits: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/epas-back-room-sue-and-settle-deals-require-reform
  158. Activist Facts, Sierra Club, Beyond Coal, Beyond Gas, Nuclear :https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/194-sierra-club/
  159. Mother Jones 2012, Sierra Club “War on Coal” update to kill 167 coal plants: https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2012/04/map-american-coal-plants/
  160. Source Watch Brags on NRDC being responsible for forcing shutting down of Seven major coal plants in Texas in 2007: https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Natural_Resources_Defense_Council#Support_for_coal_gasification
  161. Environmental Defense Fund: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Defense_Fund
  162. Influence Watch profile of EDF: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/environmental-defense-action-fund/
  163. Paul Driessen Federalist Papers on Global Warming News: https://thefederalist.com/category/science/global-warming/
  164. Michael Bloomberg Awards 174 million to Sierra Club Beyond Coal Program: https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2020/09/bloomberg-philanthropies-and-sierra-clubs-beyond-coal-campaign-reaches
  165.  Tom Steyer Starts Fund of 100 million to fight Climate Change, Philanthropy News Digest: https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/hedge-fund-billionaire-to-step-up-climate-change-advocacy-efforts
  166. Capital Research Information on Natural Resources Defense Council: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/natural-resources-defense-council-nrdc/
  167. Capital Research information on the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (this one certainly needs an update): https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/blue-ridge-environmental-defense-league/
  168. Capital Research background, funding and information on the Southern Environmental Law Center, Opposition to coal, offshore drilling and more: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/southern-environmental-law-center/ 
  169.  Andy May, Petro-Physicist Energy use 2020-2021: https://andymaypetrophysicist.com/2023/01/05/energy-use-2020-to-2021/
  170. World’s Climate Scientists Told to Cover Up the Fact the world has not warmed in 15 years, Daily Mail, UK: https://www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2425775/amp/Climate-scientists-told-cover-fact-Earths-temperature-risen-15-years.html
  171. CLINTEL website: https://clintel.org
  172. Retired NASA Engineers web site: The Right Climate Stuff : https://www.therightclimatestuff.com 
  173. CO2 Coalition. Excellent, science based information on CO2 and Climate: https://co2coalition.org 
  174. Climate Science by Dr. Ole Humlum of Norway: https://climate4you.com/
  175. Dr. Timothy Ball Paper on the Deliberate Corruption of Science, 2014: https://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/epd/EPAC/BOOK%20REVIEW%20-%20‘THE%20DELIBERATE%20CORRUPTION%20OF%20CLIMATE%20SCIENCE%20by%20TIM%20BALL.pdf
  176. Tim Ball, CO2 is not a pollutant 2018: https://www.technocracy.news/tim-ball-the-evidence-proves-that-co2-is-not-a-greenhouse-gas/
  177. Dr. Roy Spencer Website on Atmospheric Science https://www.drroyspencer.com/
  178. Review of Dr. Judith Curry’s new book: “Climate Uncertainty and Risk, Rethinking Our Response” available June 6th, 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/05/27/book-review-climate-uncertainty-and-risk-rethinking-our-response/ 
  179. Lars Schernikau, “Unpopular Truths” Newsletter on the decline of German Industry due to failed energy policies: https://sh1.sendinblue.com/3gvdip76f0lpfe.html?t=1744529565190  
  180. EIA Stats on Past & Future Generation, April 2025: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/annual/?mkt_tok=ODI0LU1IVC0zMDQAAAGZ43WWFr9wNO8tPTOKgsmgwPPWNk8RGWot7DxVoIoE1kJAseIHl5QOIFpB76qfZCFPWq3TXGNoBegkdD42BBUBalqtXixFnxyn9aADnl2Y44Sbvxc
  181. EIA List of electricity generation plants, by fuel source, 2013-2023: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/annual/table.php?t=epa_04_02_a.html
  182. NERC Long Term Reliability Assessment Report and including, Data Center Load Growth, December 2024: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_Long%20Term%20Reliability%20Assessment_2024.pdf
  183. Beautiful Clean Coal and it is Affordable too, Stephen Heins, Isaac Orr and Mitch Rolling! https://open.substack.com/pub/stephenheins/p/headline-beautiful-clean-coal-is?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
  184. We Need More Energy, Lots More Energy, by Stephen Heins, Chris Wright and Shan Sankara : https://open.substack.com/pub/stephenheins/p/headline-chris-wright-by-shan-sankara?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
  185. POWER Magazine on the surge in Gas Turbine sales, four year lead times, April 2025: https://www.powermag.com/gas-powers-boom-sparks-a-turbine-supply-crunch/
  186. Cowboy State Daily, Good News for Coal Plants: https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/04/18/politically-red-wyoming-utah-and-idaho-talk-break-from-power-giant-pacificorp/
  187. Grid Security Now website: https://securethegrid.com
  188. WUWT Roger Ciazza on the implications of extreme weather on renewable power reliability: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/04/13/implication-of-assessment-of-extreme-renewable-resource-lulls/
  189. Santee-Cooper enacts higher rates for AI Centers:  https://thisweekinenergy.substack.com/p/scs-state-owned-utility-enacts-higher
  190. Gas Turbine World: https://gasturbineworld.com/category/forecasts/
  191.  Washington Times article by Michelle Bloodworth, April 28, 2025: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/apr/28/strong-nation-requires-reliable-electricity/
  192. Coal Zoom, “The Value of Coal”, by Fred Palmer and Frank Clemente, March 2025: https://www.coalzoom.com/article.cfm?articleid=39111
  193. Electrical Manufacturers Association study of electricity growth to 2050, April 2025: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/us-electricity-demand-will-grow-50-by-2050-electrical-manufacturer-study/744575/
  194. Full report on the Grid growth by NEMA, April 2025: https://www.makeitelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/grid-reliability-study-nema-deck.pdf

#Energyreality, Coal Power, economic prosperity and energy

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

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Thank you President Trump for your leadership and courage to support American Energy Independence and to start a new Golden Age of Economic Prosperity. A thriving economy today is powered by electricity and the electricity Demand is growing at the highest rate in decades. According to Utility Dive and Grid Strategies: “U.S. electricity demand could rise 128 GW over the next five years, driven by data centers and manufacturing growth primarily in six regions of the country, according to a report published Thursday by Grid Strategies. The “shocking” estimate represents a five-fold increase in load growth forecasts over the past two years”

POWER Magazine Headline in the April edition:

Nation’s Power Operators Warn Congress of a Coming Reliability Shortfall

“Explosive Load Growth Is Now a Certainty—Driven Largely by Data Centers and AI”

The forecasted shortages are serious. As this is written, it is “Outage Season” in April when electric Demand has typically been very low due to naturally mild temperatures not requiring much air conditioning and very little heating of the lower 48 states. PJM is a good example of the forecast for peak summer and winter loads in just the next few years. As published in POWER Magazine….

“Projected growth: PJM expects its summer peak to increase by approximately 70 GW-from 150 GW in 2024 to 220 GW by 2039-nearly 47% rise over 15 years. Winter peaks could climb to 210 GW by 2039, a 45% increase from the current winter peak of 144 GW.

What to Do?……..

My Suggestion: Build New Coal Plants

Here are my suggestions regarding a Balanced Energy Portfolio which uses coal for at least 30% of America’s electricity generation portfolio. Fred Palmer and Frank Clemente wrote an excellent article on the “Value of Coal”, here. Another, “Subsidized Solar and Wind Is Undermining the Grid, While Coal Provides Reliable Baseload Power, But Trump Is On It!” by Thomas J. Shepstone and the IER here.

Four of my previous articles on the importance of coal power as a significant source of primary energy are here, here, here and here.

The Importance of Primary Energy

America is facing a shortage of reliable, affordable and Dispatchable electricity generation. As summarized in Palmer and Clemente’s Value of Coal article, coal is a proven source of primary energy that meets all three criteria, affordable, Dispatchable and reliable. In addition, it is on-site storable energy. The experiences and end results of using renewables has been much higher costs and less reliability than coal. I wrote an article with electricity price comparisons of the states with the highest cost electricity compared to those states and countries using a high percentage of coal. The highest cost electricity is in states which are on a path to shut down coal plants and use more wind and solar, such as Hawaii, California, Massachusetts, CT, RI and Maine.

The U.S. electricity generation growth is expected to double by 2050. Remember the governments encouragement and EV policies to “Electrify Everything”? We cannot electrify everything, but the electric Demand is likely to double by 2050. Therefore, providing new generation capacity to meet that growth can and should be by the building of new American made coal power plants. Why not Nuclear? Sure, new nuclear plants should be built too. However, new nuclear plants are, in my estimation, more than ten years out due to limitations of the Supply-Chain and (even with President Trump) NRC permitting. The coal plant Supply-Chain and talent can, in my experience and opinion, be ramped up faster than nuclear. Thus, the case for constructing new coal plants ASAP. Back to primary energy. electricity is secondary energy. It must be generated by the use of primary energy and as I wrote in my commentary in POWER Magazine in 2021, “Thermal Power is #1”

Conclusions of How to Solve the Electricity Generation Capacity Crisis

The forecast of needing 128 GW of new electricity generation capacity by 2030 is very close to the total capacity (125 GW) of coal plant shutdowns since 2013. So, why not replace at least that quantity of electricity generation with new clean coal plants?

The Supply-Chain for building new coal plants could in fact be ramped up faster (but NOT Fast enough) than the Supply-Chain for new nuclear generation capacity in the same time period. The Gas Turbine Supply-Chain is already at capacity and new gas turbines have lead times of four or five years.

Building 128 GW of new coal plant capacity is a huge undertaking. I have written before about my personal experiences at the Roxboro Generating Station and other 2,000+ MW Coal Plants. It took over fifteen years to build all four units at Roxboro, (first commercial operations 1966-1980), Each unit required about 2,000 skilled craftsmen to construct the units. The 128 GW figure represents over 50 plants the size of Roxboro. To construct a 2,462 MW coal plant it would take about 80,000 tons of structural steel, a million tons of concrete and tens of thousands of miles of wire and yes, likely more than ten years to complete from permitting, design, component manufacturing and field construction stages through commercial operation. Just one of the four units, Roxboro #3 became a contract in 1968 and began commercial operations in 1973. It took two more years of debugging to reach full capacity. I know, I was the lead startup engineer. That was then and with a vibrant and capable supply chain.

From a skilled talent perspective, this is a lot of engineers for design, Boilermakers, Pipe fitters, Iron Workers, Instrument Technicians, electricians and many more skills for the construction. Than there is the manufacturing supply-chain. One example is the once magnificent Manufacturing facilities at Combustion-Engineering’s Chattanooga Works. Now this is gone. A previous article covered the power generation supply-chain of the 1970’s here…The challenge is formidable, we should start now.

Warm regards,

Dick Storm, April 18, 2025

References and Information for Further Research on “How we Got Here” the Importance of Primary Energy and more for your reading enjoyment and enlightenment of energy policies in America.

  1. “The Value of Coal”, Coal Zoom by Fred Palmer and Frank Clemente, March 2025: https://www.coalzoom.com/article.cfm?articleid=39111
  2. Visualizing 100 Quadrillion BTUs. Shouldn’t Coal Remain in our Energy Mix?” : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/02/visualizing-100-quadrillion-btus-of-primary-energy-coal-should-remain-in-our-energy-mix/
  3. Coal’s Final Battle, May 18, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/05/20/coals-final-battle/
  4. The Reality of Electrifying Everything,  April 9, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/04/09/the-reality-of-electrifying-everything-and-the-primary-energy-required-to-generate-the-electricity/
  5. Threats to the Electric Grid, March 15, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/15/threats-to-the-grid-electricity-reliability/
  6. Giant Sucking Sound, March 18, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/18/giant-sucking-sound/
  7. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 2, The Reality of Replacing Conventional Forms of Energy, Jan. 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/06/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-2-some-facts-on-the-reality-of-replacing-conventional-forms-of-energy/
  8.  Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 3, The Transition that Isn’t, from the perspective of Minerals, Feb. 8, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/08/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-3-the-transition-that-isnt-from-the-perspective-of-minerals/
  9. The Rise and Fall and Rise Again  of Nations and the  Realities of Energy: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/08/15/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nations-and-the-realities-of-energy/
  10. America Needs 100 Quadrillion BTUs of Primary Energy Each Year, May 16, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/16/back-to-basics-the-u-s-needs-100-quadrillion-btus-year-of-primary-energy/  
  11.  Pillars of Modern Civilization, Ammonia, Food, Steel, Concrete, Plastics, Aluminum, July 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/25/pillars-of-modern-civilization-all-dependent-on-energy/
  12. How Can a 6,000 MW Utility that will be a 9,000MW Utility in 2050, become Net-Zero Carbon? April 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/04/27/how-can-a-6000-mw-regional-utility-in-2030-which-likely-will-be-a-9000-mw-utility-in-2050-achieve-net-zero-carbon/
  13. America’s Treasure of Fossil Fuels, Update of 2011 presentation to ASME: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/11/26/americas-treasure-of-fossil-fuels/
  14.  American Dream = 100 Quadrillion BTUs per Year April 7, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/04/american-dream-100-quadrillion-btus/
  15.   Providing a Sustainable Million BTUs per Day/Person, May 17,  2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/05/17/providing-a-sustainable-million-btus-per-day-per-person-by-fuel-source/
  16.  A Short History of Power Generation, Part 1, 1850-1955, January 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/01/14/a-short-history-of-energy-electricity-and-how-our-high-quality-of-living-came-to-be-high-human-development-index-part-1-1850-1955/
  17.  A Short History of Power Generation, Part 2:  https://wp.me/p5DzAo-k6
  18.  A Short History of Power Generation, Part 3: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-ll
  19.  A Short History of Power Generation, Part 4: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-n4
  20. Energy=Life as We Enjoy it, Aug. 22, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/08/22/energy-life-that-is-life-as-we-enjoy-it/
  21. POWER Magazine commentary by Dick Storm, “All Fuels are Important but Thermal Power Generation is Still Number 1” https://www.powermag.com/blog/all-fuels-are-important-but-thermal-power-generation-is-still-number-1/
  22. Subsidized Solar and Wind Is Undermining the Grid, While Coal Provides Reliable Baseload Power, But Trump Is On It!Thomas J. Shepstone and the Institute for Energy Research, March 2025: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/coal-a-reliable-baseload-power-vs?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
  23. POWER Magazine Jan. 2025 on Forecasted Power Shortages of PJM: https://www.powermag.com/pjm-facing-capacity-shortage-as-early-as-2026-2027-delivery-year-agrees-to-lower-auction-price-cap/
  24. Power Magazine, April 2025 on Electricity Growth and Five RTO’s Warning FERC of Generation Capacity Shortages in the Future: https://www.powermag.com/nations-power-operators-warn-congress-of-a-coming-reliability-shortfall/?utm_source=omeda&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pwrnews+eletter&oly_enc_id=3214I3524889A9B
  25. Coal Power, It is the End Result that Matters!:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/03/28/coal-power-it-is-the-end-result-that-counts/
  26. Lars Schernikau Newsletter on the impact of failed energy policies on German Industry : https://sh1.sendinblue.com/3gvdip76f0lpfe.html?t=1744529565190
  27. EIA List or Electricity Generation Plants by Fuel Source 2013-2023: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/annual/table.php?t=epa_04_02_a.html
  28. Wake Up America! Sept. 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/09/20/please-wake-up-america-your-energy-and-electricity-generation-reliability-are-at-risk/
  29.  Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 1,  79 Quadrillion BTUs, The Enormity of the Fossil Energy Systems Providing Sustainable Lives, Jan. 11, 2024 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/01/11/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-1-79-quadrillion-btusthe-enormity-of-the-fossil-energy-systems-providing-sustainable-lives/
  30.  Influencers of U.S. Energy Policy, January 3, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/01/04/influencers-of-american-energy-policy/
  31. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 2, The Reality of Replacing Conventional Forms of Energy, Jan. 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/06/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-2-some-facts-on-the-reality-of-replacing-conventional-forms-of-energy/
  32.  Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 3, The Transition that Isn’t, from the perspective of Minerals, Feb. 8, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/08/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-3-the-transition-that-isnt-from-the-perspective-of-minerals/
  33. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 4, The True Agenda for Climate Policies, Feb. 13, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/13/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-electricity-generation-and-environmental-protection-part-4-what-is-the-true-agenda-for-climate-policies/
  34. Energy Matters! March 2024 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/11/energy-matters/
  35. Update on Hawaii’s “Green New Deal” March 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/20/hawaii-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-the-green-new-deal-aka-inflation-reduction-act-here-is-an-update/
  36. The Rise and Fall of Nations from the perspective of nuclear power systems manufacturing: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/08/15/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nations-and-the-realities-of-energy/
  37. Thomas J. Shepstone posting on Substack of,  “Energy Matters If You Value the Life You Now Have and Don’t Want to Live Under Socialism March 11, 2024: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/energy-matters-if-you-value-the-life?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email  
  38.  Threats to the Electric Grid, March 15, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/15/threats-to-the-grid-electricity-reliability/
  39. Giant Sucking Sound, March 18, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/18/giant-sucking-sound/
  40. “Update on Hawaii’s Glimpse of the Future of the Green New Deal” March 20, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/20/hawaii-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-the-green-new-deal-aka-inflation-reduction-act-here-is-an-update/
  41. The Reality of Electrifying Everything,  April 9, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/04/09/the-reality-of-electrifying-everything-and-the-primary-energy-required-to-generate-the-electricity/
  42. Am I Missing Something? Here is an Update on Hyundai’s Commitment to their EV Meta Plant in Georgia:   https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/04/14/am-i-missing-something-on-evs-here-is-an-update-on-hyundais-meta-plant-commitment-to-evs-and-hydrogen-vehicles/
  43. Tom Shepstone post on Substack of Dick Storm letter to Senator Tom Davis: https://energysecurityfreedom.substack.com/p/a-balanced-energy-portfolio-is-critical/comments
  44. Dick Storm LI Post on SC Energy policies and failed coal and nuclear plant plans: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7184184178920312833?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  45. Saving America: Issues that Matter, April 28, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/04/29/saving-america-from-destructive-policies-the-real-issues-that-matter-part-1/
  46. How Can a 6,000 MW Utility in 2030 Become a 9,000 MW Utility in 2050 and Still Meet Net Zero Carbon? Update of last year’s article, May 2, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/05/02/how-can-a-6000-mw-regional-utility-in-2030-which-likely-will-be-a-9000-mw-utility-in-2050-achieve-net-zero-carbon-an-update-on-my-electricity-provider-in-south-carolina/
  47. Coal’s Final Battle, May 18, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/05/20/coals-final-battle/
  48. Tom Shepstone’s Substack repost of Dick Storm commentary, May 20, 2024: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/why-we-the-american-people-must-win?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
  49. Visualizing 100 Quadrillion BTUs. Shouldn’t Coal Remain in our Energy Mix?” : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/02/visualizing-100-quadrillion-btus-of-primary-energy-coal-should-remain-in-our-energy-mix/
  50. We the People vs. The Ten Headed Swamp Monster     :  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/10/we-the-people-vs-net-zero-indoctrination-by-the-ten-headed-swamp-monster/
  51. The Magnificent and Indispensable Heat Engines Society Depends on: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/30/the-magnificent-and-indispensable-heat-engine-on-which-civil-society-depends-part-1-heat-engines-1-3-million-horsepower/ 
  52. The Magnificent and Indispensable Heat Engine, Part II, Focus on Ocean Shipping: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/08/07/the-magnificent-and-indispensable-heat-engine-on-which-civil-society-depends-part-ii-focus-on-fossil-fuels-for-ocean-shipping/
  53. The Magnificent and Indispensable Heat Engine, Part III, August 13, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/08/13/the-magnificent-and-indispensable-heat-engine-on-which-civil-society-depends-part-iii-internal-combustion-engines-up-to-110000-horsepower/
  54. The Coming Electricity Reliability Crisis and the Importance of Coal, Sept. 12, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/09/12/the-electricity-reliability-crisis-and-the-importance-of-american-coal/
  55. The Kingdom of Heaven Runs on Righteousness, The Kingdom of Earth Runs on Energy, Oct. 3, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/10/03/heaven-runs-on-righteousness-earth-runs-on-energy/
  56. Charley Reese’s Last Column, “545 vs. 300,000,000 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/11/27/charley-reeses-last-column-a-classic-commentary-written-over-twenty-years-ago/
  57.  Why is Western Civilization Self Sabotaging the Primary Energy that Provides 80% of the fuel for America’s Life-Blood of Reliable Electricity, with the War on Carbon?.     : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/12/17/why-is-western-civilization-self-sabotaging-the-primary-energy-sources-that-provide-80-of-the-fuel-for-americas-life-blood-of-reliable-electricity-with-the-war-on-carbon/
  58. Musings on the Self-Sabotaging Energy Policies and a Reminder of the History of the Rise and Fall of Nations:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/01/13/musings-on-self-sabotaging-energy-policies-and-a-reminder-of-the-history-of-the-rise-and-fall-of-nations/
  59. The EPA “Endangerment Finding” and why it Needs to Go, Feb. 2, 2025: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-1ZW
  60. The SWAMP MONSTER vs. 300 Million Americans, Feb. 21, 2025: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/02/21/the-swamp-monster-vs-the-best-interests-of-the-united-states-of-america/
  61. Thomas J. Shepstone Substack on Dick Storm’s “Primer on How to Ensure Electricity Security (and How to Destroy It)”:  https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/a-primer-on-how-to-ensure-energy?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false 
  62.  Existing EPA-Endangerment Rules Impact South Carolina Electricity Costs and Will Cause Rationing if the EPA Endangerment Finding Isn’t Repealed  Feb. 28, 2025: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/02/28/existing-epa-rules-increase-costs-and-will-cause-rationing-of-electricity-in-south-carolina-if-endangerment-finding-is-not-repealed/
  63. Duke Energy web page for Roxboro Coal Plant: https://www.duke-energy.com/our-company/about-us/power-plants/roxboro-plant
  64. NMA Map of Electricity Prices and coal power in lower 48 states: https://nma.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/coal-gen-map-2023.pdf
  65. WSJ article on “Economic Growth Depends on Electricity, Not Oil”, March 27, 2025: https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/economic-growth-now-depends-on-electricity-not-oil-40250941?st=cbzcRt  
  66. Bjorn Lomberg on the High Cost of Solar and Wind, Climate Change Dispatch, Jan. 2, 2025: https://climatechangedispatch.com/wind-solar-hidden-truth-behind-rising-electric-bills/
  67. Frazer Institute, “Hot Air, Cold Truths, Bjorn Lomberg, March 2025: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/hot-air-and-cold-truths-bjorn-lomborg
  68. Delaware County Insider, Wind and Solar are Expensive, Bjorn Lomberg, May 24,  2024: https://delawarevalleyjournal.com/lomborg-the-true-cost-of-wind-and-solar-energy/
  69. Yahoo Finance and National Post, March 2025, Bjorn Lomberg, Wind and Solar are Expensive: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/bjorn-lomborg-solar-wind-power-100008520.html
  70. NERC Long Term Reliability Assessment Report and including, Data Center Load Growth, December 2024: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_Long%20Term%20Reliability%20Assessment_2024.pdf
  71. Beautiful Clean Coal and it is Affordable too, Stephen Heins, Isaac Orr and Mitch Rolling! https://open.substack.com/pub/stephenheins/p/headline-beautiful-clean-coal-is?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
  72. We Need More Energy, Lots More Energy, by Stephen Heins, Chris Wright and Shan Sankara : https://open.substack.com/pub/stephenheins/p/headline-chris-wright-by-shan-sankara?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
  73. POWER Magazine on the surge in Gas Turbine sales, four year lead times, April 2025: https://www.powermag.com/gas-powers-boom-sparks-a-turbine-supply-crunch/

Coal Power, economic prosperity and energy, Energy, Politics and Economic Prosperity

Response to Palmetto Electric Request to Contact Our S.C. Senators

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Palmetto-Electric Cooperative is the electricity supplier for the low country of South Carolina. They sent out a request (copied below) for customers to contact our Senators. Here is my full letter to Senator Tom Davis.

April 1, 2025 (updated April 3)

Dear Senator Davis,

Thank you for answering my question regarding electricity generation regulations to be debated this week, below in bold font and italicized is the opening comments I found online. These show the importance of affordable, reliable electricity to our great state. 

Executive Summary:

The South Carolina Public Service Authority aka Santee-Cooper has an 80+ year record of providing the most affordable, reliable electricity for our region. The current plans to shut down coal plants and replace their generation capacity with solar, wind, battery storage and natural gas turbines will cause extreme electricity generation cost escalation and possible rationing of electricity. If these plans to abandon coal fueled electricity are continued it will impact all consumers and including industry within our state. Coal generated electricity is reliable, affordable and can store months of energy onsite. Abandoning coal power will put S.C. on a path to similar electricity rates as California, Massachussets, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Hawaii. I urge you and the Legislature to maintain, improve and expand coal electricity generation within our state. Perhaps you will wish to join the other 22 states that are taking action to return to reliable coal power generation. (10) I have written on this topic before, here, here and here.

My suggestions to keep electricity affordable and reliable, with ample references will follow the Legislative action quote below:

“Whereas, South Carolina is achieving remarkable economic development success which is bringing jobs and prosperity to its citizens; and

Whereas, from January to December 2023, the state announced total capital investments of 9.22 billion dollars and over 14,000 jobs, the second largest amount in state history; and

Whereas, in 2022, the State announced 120 projects creating over 14,000 new jobs with 10.27 billion dollars in new capital investment, the largest amount in state history; and

Whereas, since 2017, the State has announced over 36.4 billion dollars in new investments and 86,378 new jobs; and

Whereas, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, South Carolina led the nation in population growth in 2023; and

Whereas, the rapidly expanding population and record-breaking economic development successes necessitate a strategic and forward-thinking approach to developing new energy infrastructure capable of meeting the energy needs of South Carolina’s residents and supporting the continued prosperity of the state; and

Whereas, sustaining this success in economic development requires an electric system that can grow and modernize to meet the demands that a prosperous and developing economy places on it; and

Whereas, the South Carolina General Assembly recognizes that the convergence of escalating population growth, record-breaking economic success, and the aging of existing energy infrastructure has created a critical juncture, demanding immediate and decisive action to avert an impending energy crisis; and

Whereas, the urgency of addressing this situation is underscored by the interconnected challenges of meeting surging energy demand, ensuring grid reliability, and fortifying the state’s resilience against potential disruptions, thereby compelling the imperative for the timely construction of new energy plants to safeguard the continued well-being and economic vitality of South Carolina; and

Whereas, in light of these facts, it is important that the General Assembly take action to ensure that generation and transmission providers are able to plan, site, and construct new and replacement generation and transmission resources in a timely and cost-effective manner, utilizing procedures that are fair, prompt, efficient, and guided by an informed Public Service Commission; and

Whereas, the General Assembly has determined that certain aspects of the current regulatory structure in South Carolina can be revised to reduce the cost, delay, and uncertainty of planning, siting, and constructing new generation and transmission resources serving customers in this State; and

Whereas, the General Assembly further finds that the current circumstances present a unique opportunity to replace or limit reliance on the Williams Generating Station operated by Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc. (DESC) in Bushy Park, South Carolina; and the Winyah Generating Station operated South Carolina Public Service Authority (SCPSA) in Georgetown, South Carolina, and perhaps other units as well, through a joint venture between these utilities; and

Whereas, DESC owns the site of the retired Canadys coal units in Colleton County (the Canadys site) which represent an environmentally well-characterized brownfield site with unique attributes, including electric transmission infrastructure on-site, proximity to a major switching station interconnecting the DESC and SCPSA transmission systems serving coastal South Carolina, and reasonable proximity to natural gas supplies which can be accessed through existing natural gas rights of way; and

Whereas, the integrated resource planning by both utilities consistently indicates the need for and benefit of additional combined-cycle natural gas resources under multiple planning scenarios; and

Whereas, by pursuing replacement resources as a joint project or projects, DESC and SCPSA could potentially achieve economies of scale to benefit ratepayers; and

Whereas, the joint project can provide a unique opportunity to anchor the expansion of natural gas pipelines serving certain coastal counties of South Carolina where economic development is currently hampered by the lack of such supplies, thereby increasing jobs, prosperity and public welfare in those areas; and

Whereas, in light of the unique circumstances presented by the shared needs of DESC and SCPSA for replacement generation in the Charleston and Georgetown areas, the unique benefits of a partnership between them for this purpose, and the unique benefits of the Canadys site as the location for a joint resource, the General Assembly finds that these circumstances support amending the enabling act of the SCPSA to authorize it in a joint venture to develop and share in the output of one or more combined cycle natural gas units to be located at the Canadys site and encourages the utility to seek, as soon as practicable, a certificate as defined under the terms of the Utility Facility Siting and Environmental Protection Act for DESC to construct and operate combined cycle natural gas units to be located at the Canadys site; ……”

My Comments and Suggestions:

Electric Power Grids that have a high percentage of wind and solar must be backed up with fast start natural gas turbines or reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines (RICE). Because the cost component of the fuel used is up to 90% of the electricity production cost, then the electricity cost is as volatile as the fuel cost. Natural gas is a clean and abundant fuel. However, the cost of natural gas can vary from $2.00 per million BTU to $5.00 per million BTU. When the fuel cost varies, so does the electricity production cost. Sometimes doubling. The state electric rates of California, MA, CT and Hawaii are examples of extreme switches to renewables with natural gas or oil backup. Here are two slides used in presentations by me and other electricity generation experts during 2024. The ten highest cost states and ten lowest cost states are instructive when the sources of primary energy for electricity generation is considered. My blog referenced below has more references.

Repeal the S.C. Restrictions on Greenhouse Gases. The EPA Law referenced in the Santee-Cooper IRP and also applying to Dominion Energy and Duke, is flawed and in the process of properly being nullified by the new EPA Administrator. The shutting down of coal plants is the main reason why electric rates will increase, and Demand Response (Rationing) measures will need to be implemented. (1. Below-From Santee-Cooper IRP)

Maintain, Improve and Expand coal power generation in S.C. The lowest production cost electricity in S.C. is from the coal plants at the following plants: Cross, Cope, Williams and Wateree Generating Stations. The 600 MW Pee Dee Coal Plant that was planned to be built about 2010 should be constructed ASAP. The existing coal plants should be authorized to perform all required maintenance to keep in first class operating condition until such time that new nuclear capacity is put on line. 

Build sufficient new coal generating capacity at the Santee-Cooper (South Carolina Public Service Authority) with the same Balanced Generation Portfolio of coal, nuclear and gas as has been the practice for over 80 years of reliable and affordable electricity production by Santee-Cooper.  Santee-Cooper is the primary supplier of electricity to Palmetto Electric and the generation assets are over 80% coal fueled.

Stop the building of more non-Dispatchable solar and wind power generation systems. Stop subsidies and incentives for Solar, Wind and Battery Storage Systems (BESS). Why? Because shutting down of reliable, dispatchable, affordable coal plants has been done by these other states and the electricity costs are the highest in our country. California, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Connecticut and Rhode Island. (2. EIA  list of U.S. Electric Rates by state)Also, the high cost, non-competitive electricity experiences of Germany, Scandinavia and the UK are instructive. (3.) 

I have written an article on my blog which outlines the good results of coal plants (such as Santee-Cooper’s excellent record of 80 years) and the references to other states and countries that have abandoned coal fuel. The blog post is here:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/03/28/coal-power-it-is-the-end-result-that-counts/

Solar, Wind and Battery Electric Storage Systems are the most expensive sources of electricity generation and this has been documented by many well respected technically trained authors. (4.)  Below are two charts prepared by Mr. Dave Walsh, and energy expert friend of mine, on the cost of electricity by other states and countries that have adopted green energy policies of wind, solar and BESS systems. The highest and lowest cost power is instructive.

Thank you for your service and thank you for reading these comments. Of course, if you would like further information, I am pleased to assist to the best of my ability to help.
Respectfully submitted,
Richard F. (Dick) Storm, PE

References for support of my conclusions:

  1. An excerpt of the Santee-Cooper IRP has this statement regarding their plans for future generation requirements. “GREENHOUSE GAS REGULATIONS The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published a final rule (“EPA GHG Rule”) in the Federal Register regulating the emission of GHGs from new gas-fired combustion turbines and existing coal, oil, and gas-fired steam generating units. As of the filing of the 2024 IRP Update, twenty-five states, including South Carolina, have filed for an appeal of the rule with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Court (“D.C. Circuit Court”), which denied a request to stay the rule during proceedings. These states have additionally filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the rule pending proceedings and final decisions by the D.C. Circuit Court. Under the EPA GHG Rule, coal units must either cease operations before January 1, 2032, or choose one of two potential compliance pathways: (i) convert to co-fire with natural gas before January 1, 2030 (at 40 percent or greater co-firing) and cease all operations before January 1, 2039; or (ii) implement 90 percent carbon capture and sequestration (“CCS”) before January 1, 2032. Neither compliance pathway is expected to be viable for Santee Cooper and therefore our current analysis of the impacts of the EPA GHG Rule assumes ceasing operations of Cross Generating Station (“Cross”) by 2032. New natural gas-fired combustion turbine and combined….” The full Santee-Cooper IRP is here:” https://www.santeecooper.com/About/Integrated-Resource-Plan/Reports-and-Materials/Santee-Cooper-2024-IRP-Update.pdf
  2.  EIA Electricity Prices, March 2025: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a  

EIA Wholesale Electricity Rates, 2024: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64284

Electric Choice.com March 2025, Electric Rates in U.S.: https://www.electricchoice.com/electricity-prices-by-state/

3. Coal Power, It is the End Result that Matters!:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/03/28/coal-power-it-is-the-end-result-that-counts/

4. Volatility of natural gas prices: Natural Gas Consumption 2024 by EIA, March 31, 2025: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64845&utm_medium=email

5. Natural Gas Prices tabulation 2019-2024 by EIA : https://www.eia.gov/naturalgas/monthly/pdf/table_03.pdf

6. On the high cost of wind, solar and Battery Electricity Storage Systems: Frazer Institute, “Hot Air, Cold Truths, Bjorn Lomberg, March 2025: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/hot-air-and-cold-truths-bjorn-lomborg

7. Delaware County Insider, Wind and Solar are Expensive, Bjorn Lomberg, May 24,  2024: https://delawarevalleyjournal.com/lomborg-the-true-cost-of-wind-and-solar-energy/  

8. Yahoo Finance and National Post, March 2025, Bjorn Lomberg, Wind and Solar are Expensive: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/bjorn-lomborg-solar-wind-power-100008520.html

9. Life Powered article on the Unreliability of Wind & Solar in Texas, March 29, 2025: https://lifepowered.org/reliability-standards-to-reduce-the-cost-of-wind-and-solar-volatility-in-texas/

10. Alabama Attorney General is amongst 22 states in appeal to return to coal for power generation revival of the Grid:  https://gulfcoastmedia.com/stories/alabama-attorney-general-calls-for-reviving-americas-energy-grid-with-coal,257548?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0XeLob6rYc5WaBBtSyuB7vHctTdzVhTJxJZ96bExtALJBFoqUPAJPKaY0_aem_8TNpNEKQSIdjNrJTJeBF8Q#//

11. Wake up America, Your Electricity Generation is at Risk and Electric Bills are Going to Get Higher: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/09/20/please-wake-up-america-your-energy-and-electricity-generation-reliability-are-at-risk/

12. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 1,  79 Quadrillion BTUs, The Enormity of the Fossil Energy Systems Providing Sustainable Lives, Jan. 11, 2024 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/01/11/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-1-79-quadrillion-btusthe-enormity-of-the-fossil-energy-systems-providing-sustainable-lives/

13. Update on Hawaii’s “Green New Deal” March 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/20/hawaii-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-the-green-new-deal-aka-inflation-reduction-act-here-is-an-update/

14. The Rise and Fall of Nations from the perspective of nuclear power systems manufacturing: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/08/15/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nations-and-the-realities-of-energy/

15. Thomas J. Shepstone posting on Substack of,  “Energy Matters If You Value the Life You Now Have and Don’t Want to Live Under Socialism

 March 11, 2024: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/energy-matters-if-you-value-the-life?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email  

16. Threats to the Electric Grid, March 15, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/15/threats-to-the-grid-electricity-reliability/

17. Tom Shepstone post on Substack of Dick Storm letter to Senator Tom Davis: https://energysecurityfreedom.substack.com/p/a-balanced-energy-portfolio-is-critical/comments

18. Dick Storm LI Post on SC Energy policies and failed coal and nuclear plant plans: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7184184178920312833?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

19. Saving America: Issues that Matter, April 28, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/04/29/saving-america-from-destructive-policies-the-real-issues-that-matter-part-1/

20. How Can a 6,000 MW Utility in 2030 Become a 9,000 MW Utility in 2050 and Still Meet Net Zero Carbon? Update of last year’s article, May 2, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/05/02/how-can-a-6000-mw-regional-utility-in-2030-which-likely-will-be-a-9000-mw-utility-in-2050-achieve-net-zero-carbon-an-update-on-my-electricity-provider-in-south-carolina/

21. Coal’s Final Battle, May 18, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/05/20/coals-final-battle/

22. Tom Shepstone’s Substack repost of Dick Storm commentary, May 20, 2024: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/why-we-the-american-people-must-win?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

23. Visualizing 100 Quadrillion BTUs. Shouldn’t Coal Remain in our Energy Mix?” : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/02/visualizing-100-quadrillion-btus-of-primary-energy-coal-should-remain-in-our-energy-mix/

24. We the People vs. The Ten Headed Swamp Monster       https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/10/we-the-people-vs-net-zero-indoctrination-by-the-ten-headed-swamp-monster/

25. The Magnificent and Indispensable Heat Engines Society Depends on: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/30/the-magnificent-and-indispensable-heat-engine-on-which-civil-society-depends-part-1-heat-engines-1-3-million-horsepower/ 

26. The Magnificent and Indispensable Heat Engine, Part II, Focus on Ocean Shipping: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/08/07/the-magnificent-and-indispensable-heat-engine-on-which-civil-society-depends-part-ii-focus-on-fossil-fuels-for-ocean-shipping/

27. The Magnificent and Indispensable Heat Engine, Part III, August 13, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/08/13/the-magnificent-and-indispensable-heat-engine-on-which-civil-society-depends-part-iii-internal-combustion-engines-up-to-110000-horsepower/

28. The Coming Electricity Reliability Crisis and the Importance of Coal, Sept. 12, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/09/12/the-electricity-reliability-crisis-and-the-importance-of-american-coal/

29. The Kingdom of Heaven Runs on Righteousness, The Kingdom of Earth Runs on Energy, Oct. 3, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/10/03/heaven-runs-on-righteousness-earth-runs-on-energy/

30. Charley Reese’s Last Column, “545 vs. 300,000,000 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/11/27/charley-reeses-last-column-a-classic-commentary-written-over-twenty-years-ago/

31. Why is Western Civilization Self Sabotaging the Primary Energy that Provides 80% of the fuel for America’s Life-Blood of Reliable Electricity, with the War on Carbon?.     : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/12/17/why-is-western-civilization-self-sabotaging-the-primary-energy-sources-that-provide-80-of-the-fuel-for-americas-life-blood-of-reliable-electricity-with-the-war-on-carbon/

32. Musings on the Self-Sabotaging Energy Policies and a Reminder of the History of the Rise and Fall of Nations:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/01/13/musings-on-self-sabotaging-energy-policies-and-a-reminder-of-the-history-of-the-rise-and-fall-of-nations/

The following 60+ Reference Links were not provided to Senator Davis in my letter to him. However, because much interest in the topic has been shown, I thought it is helpful to add the following for anyone who wishes to dig deeper into the economics of fuels, electricity generation, environmental impact of CO2, policy and science papers and more…..All related to Coal Power Generation. For your reading pleasure!

  1. Environmental References-2025
    WUWT on the 2009 EPA Endangerment Finding: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/01/21/trump-targets-the-2009-endangerment-finding-a-bold-move-toward-restoring-regulatory-sanity/
    Sea Level Rise, WUWT: https://wattsupwiththat.com/sea-level-rise-is-accelerating-dramatically/
  2. Daily Signal on U.N. Policy to eliminate Fossil Fuels, Sept 25, 2024: https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/09/25/phasing-out-fossil-fuels-will-leave-the-globe-poor-hungry-and-sick/?mkt_tok=ODI0LU1IVC0zMDQAAAGVzwC2snGpCwRuOHknHfpRIFPOT9z9DhiF_eQKLAb1xS_HNzu7STzSDhmBuh7cjCzNe3e2II7BQWjjGL4vOXGzhnJNcrXMFMVNeAAMr0SDSSR0o1g
  3. CEI-  “50 Years of Failed Predictions of Environmental Extremists”: https://cei.org/blog/wrong-again-50-years-of-failed-eco-pocalyptic-predictions/
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoxLY7GdbLg
  4. Vaclav Smil for Fraser Institute, “Why Net Zero is Impractical and Unrealistic”: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/halfway-between-kyoto-and-2050
  5. WUWT 2023 Summary of Good articles on true Climate Science, Jan. 6, 2024: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/01/10/weekly-climate-and-energy-news-roundup-582/
  6. CO2 Coalition home page: https://co2coalition.org
    CO2 Learning Center slides and information on true science of the climate and human induced warming, Feb. 2023: https://co2coalition.org/media_category/presentations/
  7. The UN-Agenda 2030, Reminder, It is not about protecting human health or the environment it is politics:  “A Totalitarian Trojan Horse” by Daniel Lacalle, Feb. 18, 2024:  https://www.dlacalle.com/en/the-2030-agenda-the-totalitarian-trojan-horse/
  8. WUWT-Battery Electric Storage Systems (BESS) “Batteries Create Value by Harvesting Electricity Price Volatility” Example, a 700 MWH system, good for 373 MW for two hours: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/02/21/battery-energy-storage-systems/
  9. We are Being Taken for Climate Fools by those who Aim to Crush us, Thomas Shepstone, Nov. 2023 : https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/were-being-taken-for-climate-fools?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
  10. Finland’s GTK Outstanding Website on the limits of the ability of the Free Western World government’s to achieve “Net-Zero Carbon” Path: https://www.gtk.fi/en/research/time-to-wake-up/
    https://www.gtk.fi/en/research/time-to-wake-up/downloads/
  11. Anthony Watts on the Polar Vortex Weather Pattern: https://climaterealism.com/2024/01/false-axios-climate-change-isnt-altering-the-polar-vortex/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Heartland+Weekly%3A+Heartland+Friend+Willie+Soon+KILLS+IT+on+Tucker+Carlson+s+New+Show+on+Elon+Musk+s+X+Platform&utm_campaign=HW+%2801-12-23%29
  12. CO2 Coalition home page: https://co2coalition.org
    Politico, 2015 Report, “Inside the War on Coal”: https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/05/inside-war-on-coal-000002/
  13. Dr. Richard Lindzen on Temperature of the Earth: https://climateactiontracker.org
    Clintel Declaration (European Scientists): https://clintel.org/world-climate-declaration/
  14. WUWT Timeline of Failed Climate Doomsday Predictions: https://wattsupwiththat.com/failed-prediction-timeline/
  15. Dr. Roy Spencer Web site: https://www.drroyspencer.com
  16. Heartland Institute: http://climatechangereconsidered.org
  17. Real Clear Wire, “Here’s the Climate Dissent You’re Not Hearing About Because it is Muffled by Society’s Top Institutions” :  https://realclearwire.com/articles/2023/09/13/heres_the_climate_dissent_youre_not_hearing_about_because_its_muffled_by_societys_top_institutions_978511.html?utm_medium=email&utm_content=iJgazUr_XAtMm8bXcO-NbIzld7XNG9xSjxbQsPeA5uyvxxlevtyy6INEIV4bUTjx
  18. Professor Richard Lindzen, MIT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Lindzen#Views_on_climate_change
  19. Prof. Lindzen article in Tablet Magazine on China and his views on AGW: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/science/articles/china-warming-richard-lindzen
  20. Professor Judith Curry Interview January 30, 2021 on AGW: https://judithcurry.com/2021/01/30/interview-climate-change-a-different-perspective-with-judith-curry/
  21. Professor Willliams Happer and Professor Richard Lindzen Testimony to SEC June 2022: https://www.sec.gov/comments/s7-10-22/s71022-20132171-302668.pdf
  22. The Right Stuff Climate Team (Retired NASA Engineers): https://www.therightclimatestuff.com
  23. Climate Science Book by Vinos with forward by Judith Curry:  https://judithcurry.com/2022/09/22/the-winter-gatekeeper-hypothesis-vii-a-summary-plus-qa/
  24. Climate, Past, Present and Future: https://judithcurry.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Vinos-CPPF2022.pdf
  25. Australian Scientific Paper: World Atmospheric CO2, Its 14C Specific Activity, Non-fossil Component, Anthropogenic Fossil Component, and Emissions (1750–2018) https://journals.lww.com/health-physics/fulltext/2022/02000/world_atmospheric_co2,_its_14c_specific_activity,.2.aspx
  26. GWPF Sept 22, 2022, Richard Lindzen Paper: https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2022/09/Lindzen-global-warming-narrative.pdf
  27. Dr. Timothy Ball Paper on the Deliberate Corruption of Science, 2014: https://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/epd/EPAC/BOOK%20REVIEW%20-%20‘THE%20DELIBERATE%20CORRUPTION%20OF%20CLIMATE%20SCIENCE%20by%20TIM%20BALL.pdf
  28. Tim Ball, CO2 is not a pollutant 2018: https://www.technocracy.news/tim-ball-the-evidence-proves-that-co2-is-not-a-greenhouse-gas/
  29. Dr. Judith Curry post on how Disinformation Industrial Complex is harming Trust in Science, June 2023: https://judithcurry.com/2023/04/23/how-the-disinformation-industrial-complex-is-destroying-trust-in-science/https://judithcurry.com/2023/04/23/how-the-disinformation-industrial-complex-is-destroying-trust-in-science/
  30. Vaclav Smil book: “The Way the World Really Works”
    Dr. Steve Koonin book: “Unsettled”
    Science based web site on Climate Science: https://climate4you.com
  31. Heartland Institute Climate Conference, Feb. 2023: https://heartland.org/events/15th-international-conference-on-climate-change/ 
  32. Professor Willliams Happer and Professor Richard Lindzen Testimony to SEC June 2022: https://www.sec.gov/comments/s7-10-22/s71022-20132171-302668.pdf
  33. Dr. Judith Curry Review of CLINTEL report analyzing IPCC-AR6: https://judithcurry.com/2023/05/13/clintels-critical-evaluation-of-the-ipcc-ar6/ 
  34. CLINTEL website: https://clintel.org
  35. Dr. Patrick Moore discusses Manufactured Climate Alarmism, May 2023, Newsmax: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/04/30/patrick-moore-discusses-climate-change-manufactured&t=jx86j0I-tJuKCNreXz1BDA
  36. Donn Dears book, “Have No Fear”
  37. Fred Singer and Dennis T. Avery book, “UnstoppableGlobal Warming” published 2007
  38. Book, “Hot Talk, Cold Science” 3rd edition, 2021, By Singer, Legates and Lupo
  39. CO2 Coalition has an extensive web site with more science based Climate and Atmospheric Science information: https://co2coalition.org
  40. Physicist Wallace Manheimer on CO2, “There is no Climate Crisis” , January 2023: https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jsd/article/view/0/47745  Abstract here: https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jsd/article/view/0/47745
  41. Dr. Steve Koonin, Is There Really a Climate Emergency? https://www.prageru.com/video/is-there-really-a-climate-emergency?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_5331670
  42. WUWT Global Surface Temperature Record Updated 1880-2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/uah-version-6/ 
  43. “Why Climate Change is Not an Emergency”, CO2 Coalition Presentations, May 27, 2023: https://co2coalition.org/media/why-climate-change-is-not-an-emergency/
  44. WUWT Home page for access to numerous articles: https://wattsupwiththat.com
  45. Manhattan Contrarian, Francis Menton article on the Michael Mann “Hockey Stick” graph, Civil lawsuit, Mark Steyn and IPCC: https://www.manhattancontrarian.com/blog/2024-1-27-some-notes-on-the-trial-of-mann-v-steyn
  46. Donn Dears book, “Clean Energy Crisis” 2022: 
  47. Donn Dears book, “Net Zero Carbon, The Policy Destroying America” 2021:
  48. Australian Government website on CO2 Emissions: https://www.csiro.au/en/research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/Climate-change-QA/Sources-of-CO2
  49. GWPF Sept 22, 2022, Richard Lindzen Paper: https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2022/09/Lindzen-global-warming-narrative.pdf
  50. Dr. Timothy Ball Paper on the Deliberate Corruption of Science, 2014: https://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/epd/EPAC/BOOK%20REVIEW%20-%20‘THE%20DELIBERATE%20CORRUPTION%20OF%20CLIMATE%20SCIENCE%20by%20TIM%20BALL.pdf
  51. Tim Ball, CO2 is not a pollutant 2018: https://www.technocracy.news/tim-ball-the-evidence-proves-that-co2-is-not-a-greenhouse-gas/
  52. Dr. Judith Curry post on how Disinformation Industrial Complex is harming Trust in Science, June 2023: https://judithcurry.com/2023/04/23/how-the-disinformation-industrial-complex-is-destroying-trust-in-science/https://judithcurry.com/2023/04/23/how-the-disinformation-industrial-complex-is-destroying-trust-in-science/
  53. Vaclav Smil book: “The Way the World Really Works”
    Dr. Steve Koonin book: “Unsettled”
    Science based web site on Climate Science: https://climate4you.com
  54. Heartland Institute Climate Conference, Feb. 2023: https://heartland.org/events/15th-international-conference-on-climate-change/ 
  55. Professor Willliams Happer and Professor Richard Lindzen Testimony to SEC June 2022: https://www.sec.gov/comments/s7-10-22/s71022-20132171-302668.pdf
  56. The Right Stuff Climate Team (Retired NASA Engineers): https://www.therightclimatestuff.com
  57. WSJ article on “Economic Growth Depends on Electricity, Not Oil”, March 27, 2025: https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/economic-growth-now-depends-on-electricity-not-oil-40250941?st=cbzcRt  
  58. Bjorn Lomberg on the High Cost of Solar and Wind, Climate Change Dispatch, Jan. 2, 2025: https://climatechangedispatch.com/wind-solar-hidden-truth-behind-rising-electric-bills/
  59. Frazer Institute, “Hot Air, Cold Truths, Bjorn Lomberg, March 2025: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/hot-air-and-cold-truths-bjorn-lomborg
  60. Delaware County Insider, Wind and Solar are Expensive, Bjorn Lomberg, May 24,  2024: https://delawarevalleyjournal.com/lomborg-the-true-cost-of-wind-and-solar-energy/
  61. Yahoo Finance and National Post, March 2025, Bjorn Lomberg, Wind and Solar are Expensive: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/bjorn-lomborg-solar-wind-power-100008520.html
  62. Alabama Attorney General is amongst 22 states in appeal to return to coal for power generation revival of the Grid: https://gulfcoastmedia.com/stories/alabama-attorney-general-calls-for-reviving-americas-energy-grid-with-coal,257548?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0XeLob6rYc5WaBBtSyuB7vHctTdzVhTJxJZ96bExtALJBFoqUPAJPKaY0_aem_8TNpNEKQSIdjNrJTJeBF8Q#//
  63. Life Powered article on the Unreliability of Wind & Solar in Texas, March 29, 2025: https://lifepowered.org/reliability-standards-to-reduce-the-cost-of-wind-and-solar-volatility-in-texas/
  64. Retired NASA Team “The Right Climate Stuff” https://rclutz.com/2025/04/03/the-right-climate-stuff/
#Energyreality, Coal Power, Energy, Electricity, Economic Prosperity and Environmental Protection, Energy, Politics and Economic Prosperity, Fossil Fuels are Important, Keeping America Great

Coal Power: It is the End Result that Counts!

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Solar and Wind are not the lowest cost electricity generation, in spite of what is written or hyped

Electricity Demand is Growing at the Fastest Rate in a Decade

An excerpt from the latest IEA Energy 2025 report follows:

“Global energy demand grew by 2.2% in 2024 – faster than the average rate over the past decade. Demand for all fuels and technologies expanded in 2024. The increase was led by the power sector as electricity demand surged by 4.3%, well above the 3.2% growth in global GDP, driven by record temperatures, electrification and digitalisation. Renewables
accounted for most of the growth in global energy supply (38%), followed by natural gas (28%), coal (15%), oil (11%) and nuclear (8%)“

The National Mining Association provides the map below which shows the U.S. States with the lowest cost electricity and also the percentage of electricity generation from coal.

The NMA illustration above is based on electricity prices in 2023. A more recent listing is compiled by the EIA, here.

The previous article I wrote covered the sad cancellation of most of the 151 new coal plants that were planned in 2008. Also, the coal plants canceled between 2007 and 2015 are covered here, here and here.

Here below is a slide I used for my presentation to the 2011 ASME Summer Meeting in Dallas for my talk on the “Importance of Coal and America’s Treasure of Fossil Fuels” as of the summer of 2011. Note the electricity prices when coal provided over 40% of America’s electricity generation. The increases are NOT simply inflation. The price increases since 2010 are primarily the result of the “War on Coal”.

Also, moving from 2011 to present day power demand, the 2025 winter peak power generation from coal remains important. Here is a typical winter day generation. This one from January 21, 2025. Coal was providing over 20% of America’s electricity.

Reliable, Affordable Electricity Powers the U.S. Economy

The WSJ recently published an article, “Economic Growth Depends on Electricity, Not Oil”. The article is good with respect to showing the relationship of reliable, affordable power, but in my opinion has too much emphasis (again) on renewable green power as the solution. Here is the historical growth of electricity as reported in the WSJ.

Green Power Obfuscation

The question of which fuel or source provides the lowest cost generation of electricity? The answer to that question gets muddled by much obfuscation by the media and even professional trade journals that are well respected. Here is a typical example. This one from Visual Capitalist.

Here is another example of greenwashing from my local electricity supplier in South Carolina. Most of the generation for Palmetto-Electric Cooperative is provided by the primarily coal fueled Santee-Cooper generation. Yet, propaganda such as this tends to indoctrinate the public that renewables are powering Hilton Head island.

Here is a slide I used in a presentation several years ago where threee well respected organizations, WSJ, Palmetto Electric and the IEA all have obfuscated the facts on the cost of new generation capacity built or power produced during 2020.

Results Engineering

One of the positions I held over the years was that of Results Engineer for Babcock & Wilcox. I thought it was a corny title at the time (1967) but after many years, can appreciate the significance of measuring the true Results of Thermal Power Generating plants. The Results Engineering Team tested new power plants to measure efficiency and other performance parameters. Back then (as is done now) the total heat input is measured that is inputed to a power generation system and then the net output is determined as the Heat-Rate based on measuring the total heat input, and the equivalent energy output. A typical modern ultra-supercritical coal plant may achieve an efficiency of 41% at design conditions. This would be a Heat-Rate of 8,323 Btus/kWh. Back to basics: one kWh of electricity is equivalent to 3412.6 BTUs. Thus, 3412.6/8323 X 100=41% Thermal efficiency

Yes, I am aware that natural gas combined cycle plants (GTCC) can achieve up to 65% Thermal Efficiency. However, with the fuel cost component about 90% for natural gas fuel, the production cost is directly impacted by increased fuel costs. Even at a much higher efficiency, a 60% GTCC plant will have a higher production cost than a 40% efficient coal plant if the fuel is 2x more expensive. More on that later.

Why are Heat-Rate and Thermal Efficiency Important?

Few energy writers discuss the importance of Thermal Power in electricity generation (or transportation). For example, the January 21, 2025 electricity generation example shown above is provided by over 90% Thermal Power. Thermal energy converted to electricity from nuclear, natural gas and coal. The importance of PRIMARY Energy is rarely written about. One energy expert, Lars Schernikau has written much on Primary energy. As a reminder for the U.S., here is the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Sankey Diagram of Total PRIMARY Energy Flows for 2022: Note that of the total Primary Energy used in the U.S. over 94% for the entire year 2022 was from conventional forms of electric power generation when old hydro, Biomass and nuclear are included. The 100 Quadrillion BTUs of total Primary energy includes all uses of energy; electricity generation, transportation, industrial production, heating, cooking and commercial end uses.

The primary cost of Electricity production at the Bus Bar of a thermal power plant is fuel. A coal plant production cost component will be in the range of 70% of electricity cost. The natural gas fuel cost component for a GTCC or simple cycle gas turbine will be about 90% of the production cost. Therefore, the cost of the primary energy determines the production cost of electricity. One of many advantages of coal plants is the fairly level cost of fuel over the years. Thus, stable electricity prices.

Thomas Troszak has written an excellent paper on the fallacy of wind and solar. It is entitled, “Why Do We Burn Coal and Wood to Make Solar Panels“? Lars Schernikau has an excellent web page entitled “Unpopular Truths” and he has published books on the importance of Primary Energy. Suffice it to say, Primary Energy needs to be discussed more at a level for the general public to understand. The absence of sound energy education which has been masked by public green indoctrination, is one reason why the importance of primary energy is, misunderstood by the public and policy makers.

But, I digress. Let’s get back to the Results of various sources of electricity generation and comparing the end Results of wind, solar and coal power generation. One of my all time favorite words: RESULTS!

RESULTS Matter! U.S. States with Lowest Cost Power and the Primary Fuel Used for Electricity Generation

The EIA lists the electricity costs for all 50 states. That list is here. Also, Electricity Plans.com, Here. Five with the lowest average retail rates (EIA) are:

  • North Dakota $0.0102/kWh
  • Idaho $0.10.97/kWh
  • Utah $0.1102/kWh
  • Wyoming $0.117/kWh
  • Nebraska $0.1078/kWh

Let’s dig into the principal fuel used for power generation by North Dakota according to the EIA Energy Profile for ND. The Primary source of energy for power generation is 54.4% coal and 39.7% renewables. The next lowest cost producer of electricity is Idaho. EIA Energy Profile for Idaho shows: Natural gas 68.7% and renewables 30.8%. Nebraska is another low cost producer, data from EIA Energy Profile for Nebraska is: 48% coal, 16.7% nuclear and 33.5% renewables. These three examples are what I would consider “Balanced Generation Portfolios”. The reason the power costs are reasonable has many moving parts but primarily the low electricity rates are attributed to low cost, affordable Primary energy. Idaho is blessed with wind and abundant hydropower from Bonneville Power dams in the Columbia River system. The hydropower supply in the Pacific Northwest is unique and obviously different than the geography of Florida or the plains states of the midwest. The Green New Deal plan of solar and wind powering all 50 states just simply will not and is not working. One policy does not fit all 50 states.

How about South Carolina?

My adopted state of S.C. ranks pretty well in electricity rates, for now. The S.C. EIA Energy profile shows our state electric costs at $0.01387/kWh. Not too bad. The Primary energy sources for S.C. total state electricity generation are 56.3% nuclear (the success of nuclear in S.C. is almost never discussed by the MSM), 18.6% coal, 19.8% natural gas and 5.2% renewables. Again, in my view, a nicely Balanced generation portfolio. The high percentage of nuclear generation is from old nuclear plants. Four nuclear units which started up in the 1970’s. As a resident of South Carolina, I appreciate the good record of reliability and affordability of our electricity. However, it should be noted that the future cost and affordability of electricity are in jeopardy if the current path to eliminate coal is not changed.

The States With the Highest Cost Electricity

Here are the top seven states with the highest cost electricity.

  • Hawaii $0.4234/kWh
  • California $0.03055/kWh
  • Massachusetts $0.03122/kWh
  • Connecticut $0.02816/kWh
  • Maine $0.02629/kWh
  • Rhode Island $0.02531/kWh
  • New York $0.0.2437/kWh

Additional references are included below to provide information on primary energy, electricity generation profiles of states and including the highest and lowest cost electricity in the U.S. and the world.

Bjorn Lomberg, One Practical Environmentalist

Lomberg has published numerous books, magazine articles, news articles and technical papers. He has been a consistent voice of reason. Here below is one of his charts published in Canada’s Financial Post on the cost of electricity in countries that have moved deeply into carbon free, wind and solar electricity generation.

The red circled statement in the lower right corner of the chart sums up wind and solar power generation. There is “No Cheap Electricity”. Dick Storm’s take is: There is reasonable cost, reliable electricity and that is electricity generated from coal. American policy makers should study the impact of green power being forced on Germany and the consequent deindustrialization, due to high energy costs. Several of Lomberg’s other publications are listed in the references.

Conclusions, The most important points I am trying to make are:

  • Solar and wind are NOT less expensive sources of primary energy to produce electricity 24/7 8760 hours per year
  • Coal, nuclear and natural gas provide Dispatchable, affordable power and the Result in lower power costs when applied in a Balanced Generation Portfolio produce the least cost and most reliable electricity generation
  • When wholesale and retail electricity rates are compared from states that have high percentages of coal, nuclear, natural gas and hydropower, they have the lowest electricity rates over the course of years.
  • When solar and wind are forced onto the Grid, it raises electricity prices. A very good example is Hawaii which once had a coal plant and then, blessed with plenty of wind and sunshine, tried to become Net Zero Carbon. The result is the highest electricity costs in America. I wrote a few articles on Hawaii as a perfect energy island example of applying the “Green New Deal”. With no Grid to connect, the true costs of electricity show up faster than they will in a states practicing the “Green New Deal” but are connected to the Grid such as California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maine.
  • The states with a high percentage of coal power generation also have amongst the lowest electricity prices

Thank you for taking time to read this and I encourage you to read more in the reference links provided below.

Dick Storm, March 28, 2025

References and for further research

  1. Thomas Troszak articles on the fallacy of renewables: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335083312_Why_do_we_burn_coal_and_trees_to_make_solar_panels?

    https://www.enseccoe.org/publications/energy-highlights-no-16/
  2. Rafe Champion website, March 18, 2025: https://www.flickerpower.com/index.php/search/categories/general/list-of-briefing-notes
  3. National Mining Association, (NMA) https://mineralsmakelife.org/blog/early-action-signals-progress-us-mineral-independence-still-hangs-in-balance/
  4. EIA on Electricity Growth of AI centers: https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-releases-new-report-evaluating-increase-electricity-demand-data-centers
  5. Utility Dive, Rising Demand Could Increase Electricity Prices 19% by 2028, Electricity Growth 68% by 2050: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/us-electricity-prices-19-percent-higher-2028-ICF/727317/
  6. EIA Energy Outlook, March 11, 2025: https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/report/elec_coal_renew.php
  7. Kathryn Porter’s “Watt Logic” article on Heathrow Airport Outage, March 2025: https://watt-logic.com/2025/03/24/heathrow-airport-blackout/#comment-108225
  8. EIA Electricity Prices, March 2025: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a  
  9. Electricity Plans.com: https://electricityplans.com/average-electricity-bill-usage-rate-by-state/#top-10-states-for-cheapest-electricity-bills
  10. EIA Wholesale Electricity Rates, 2024: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64284
  11. Electric Choice.com March 2025, Electric Rates in U.S.: https://www.electricchoice.com/electricity-prices-by-state/
  12. NMA Map of Electricity Prices and coal power in lower 48 states: https://nma.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/coal-gen-map-2023.pdf
  13. WSJ article on “Economic Growth Depends on Electricity, Not Oil”, March 27, 2025: https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/economic-growth-now-depends-on-electricity-not-oil-40250941?st=cbzcRt  
  14. Lars Schernikau Blog, “Unpopular Truth”: https://unpopular-truth.com/blog/
  15. MSNBC High Grade Canadian Uranium Mine, video: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/12/11/a-look-inside-the-worlds-highest-grade-uranium-mine.html?__source=linkedin%7Cmain%7Cverticalvideo
  16. Stephen Heins, January 2025 on Importance of Coal Power Plants: https://open.substack.com/pub/stephenheins/p/required-to-ensure-power-grid-resiliency?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false  
  17. NERC December 2024 Reliability Report: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_Long%20Term%20Reliability%20Assessment_2024.pdf
  18. History of Energy Policy since Jimmy Carter, Real Clear History: https://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2025/01/22/irony_and_failure_the_energy_policies_of_jimmy_carter_1086054.html
  19. Chris Bond on California Dreaming: https://open.substack.com/pub/chrisbond/p/california-dreaming?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
  20. Battery Storage BESS in California, LI Post by Oscar Martin: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/oscarlmartin_californias-grid-batteries-have-turned-out-activity-7294973477780865024-EfRk?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  21. Last 10 Years Electricity generation LI post by Mike Caravaggio, Feb. 10, 2025: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/michael-caravaggio_last-ten-years-of-electricity-generation-activity-7291223299571818497-u6VI?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  22. BESS description by Lars Stephan using German example, LI Feb. 10, 2025: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lars-stephan_energystorage-activity-7294633711931715585-ErXn?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  23.  Ron Clutz interview of Chris Wright with excellent text and cartoons: https://rclutz.com/2025/02/11/us-energy-status-quo-and-outlook-sec-chris-wright/
  24. WUWT, David Mittleton on Fossil Fuels saving New England from freezing in Jan. 2025, posted Feb. 12:  https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/02/12/fossil-fuels-save-new-england-from-freezing-in-the-dark-again/
  25. Lakeland McIntosh #3 Demolition, January 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GFkzRvrQ4A
  26. Power Magazine video of McIntosh Coal Plant: https://www.powermag.com/watch-implosion-topple-florida-coal-fired-plant/
  27. Scott Tinker and Mark Mills Book, “Energy for the 21st Century” Feb, 2025:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/75cce-markmillsandscotttinkerenergyforthe21stcentury.pdf
  28. EIA Report on Coal Plant Retirements, Feb. 2025: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64604
  29. Mike Caravaggio LI Post on world Power Generation: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/michael-caravaggio_global-electricity-mix-evolution-2012-to-activity-7299561874142969856-INbX?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAI4KQUBYW-cbQRlA1kgj9X3llGi7u6KNnQ
  30. Foreign Affairs magazine, “The Troubled Energy Transition “March- April 2025: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/troubled-energy-transition-yergin-orszag-arya
  31. IEA World Energy Prices, Dec. 2024: https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-product/energy-prices#energy-prices-and-taxes
  32. Western Electricity Markets reports: https://www.westerneim.com/Pages/About/QuarterlyBenefits.aspx
  33.  Isaac Orr and Mitch Rolling Substack article summarizing the J.P. Morgan Chase 2025 Energy report: https://open.substack.com/pub/energybadboys/p/9-takeaways-from-the-jp-morgan-chase?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
  34. Heliocentrism, March 4th , 2025, J.P. Morgan Chase Energy Report: https://assets.jpmprivatebank.com/content/dam/jpm-pb-aem/global/en/documents/eotm/heliocentrism.pdf
  35. All Fuels are Important, A Review of Competitive Electricity Generation and Supply of Needed Transportation Fuels : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/02/10/all-fuels-are-important-a-review-of-the-reality-of-competitive-electricity-generation-and-the-supply-of-needed-transportation-fuels/  
  36. Texas and Coal Power,  6,000 MW of Coal Power Generation is Missed, Feb. 19, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/02/19/texas-and-coal-power-6000-mws-of-coal-plant-capacity-is-missed/
  37. Executive Orders to Weaken the U.S. Economy, March 3, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/03/03/presidential-executive-order-signed-by-biden-that-will-harm-the-u-s-economy/
  38. Energy and Some People Who Contributed to the Rise of America, March 31, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/03/31/energy-and-notable-people-who-contributed-to-the-rise-of-america/  
  39. Earth Day, Let’s Celebrate True Sustainability of Our High Quality of Life, April 22, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/04/22/earth-day-lets-celebrate-true-sustainability-and-a-continuance-of-our-high-quality-of-life/
  40.   The War on Carbon, How it Came to Be” October 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/10/16/the-war-on-carbon-how-it-came-to-be/
  41. “My Paid Energy Ad from 2015 and here We Go Again”, January 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/01/28/my-paid-ad-for-energy-awareness-in-2015-here-we-go-again/
  42. Energy and Economic Prosperity, My Thoughts, a presentation to the Delaware County Bar Association, July 2016: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2016/07/25/energy-and-economic-prosperity-my-thoughts-dick-storm/
  43. “Dick Storm’s Thoughts on the Green New Deal”,    October 2020: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2020/10/10/part-5-dick-storms-thoughts-on-the-green-new-deal/
  44. “Are You Worried about the Future of the U.S.A.?”    : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/01/21/are-you-worried-about-the-future-of-america/
  45.  830,000 BTUs per Day/Person, Sept. 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/09/16/830000-btus-per-day-person/
  46.   The Stupidity of Net-Zero Carbon, Oct. 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/10/13/the-stupidity-of-net-zero-carbon/
  47. America’s Treasure of Fossil Fuels, Update of 2011 presentation to ASME: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/11/26/americas-treasure-of-fossil-fuels/
  48.  American Dream = 100 Quadrillion BTUs per Year April 7, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/04/american-dream-100-quadrillion-btus/
  49.   Providing a Sustainable Million BTUs per Day/Person, May 17,  2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/05/17/providing-a-sustainable-million-btus-per-day-per-person-by-fuel-source/
  50.  A Short History of Power Generation, Part 1, 1850-1955, January 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/01/14/a-short-history-of-energy-electricity-and-how-our-high-quality-of-living-came-to-be-high-human-development-index-part-1-1850-1955/
  51.  A Short History of Power Generation, Part 2:  https://wp.me/p5DzAo-k6
  52.  A Short History of Power Generation, Part 3: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-ll
  53.  A Short History of Power Generation, Part 4: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-n4
  54. Energy=Life as We Enjoy it, Aug. 22, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/08/22/energy-life-that-is-life-as-we-enjoy-it/
  55.  “The War on Carbon, How it Came to Be”, Oct. 16, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/10/16/the-war-on-carbon-how-it-came-to-be/
  56. Energy and Economic Prosperity, Jan. 11, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/01/03/energy-and-economic-prosperity/
  57.  Energy and World Peace, April, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/04/05/energy-world-peace/
  58. Without New Thinking on Nuclear Power, Anti-Carbon Policy Can’t Succeed, Nov. 11, 2021 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/11/13/without-new-thinking-on-nuclear-power-anti-carbon-climate-policy-cant-succeed/
  59.  The Rise and Fall and Rise Again  of Nations and the  Realities of Energy: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/08/15/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nations-and-the-realities-of-energy/
  60. America Needs 100 Quadrillion BTUs of Primary Energy Each Year, May 16, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/16/back-to-basics-the-u-s-needs-100-quadrillion-btus-year-of-primary-energy/  
  61.  Pillars of Modern Civilization, Ammonia, Food, Steel, Concrete, Plastics, Aluminum, July 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/25/pillars-of-modern-civilization-all-dependent-on-energy/
  62. How Can a 6,000 MW Utility that will be a 9,000MW Utility in 2050, become Net-Zero Carbon? April 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/04/27/how-can-a-6000-mw-regional-utility-in-2030-which-likely-will-be-a-9000-mw-utility-in-2050-achieve-net-zero-carbon/
  63. Dick Storm Blog post, “Wake Up Americans!” Sept. 21, 2023:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/09/20/please-wake-up-america-your-energy-and-electricity-generation-reliability-are-at-risk/
  64. THE ERA OF RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE, ENERGY AND ELECTRICITY GENERATION: PART 1: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/10/04/the-era-of-reliable-affordable-energy-and-electricity-generation-part-1/
  65.  The Green Energy Crisis is Here, Part 1, Sept. 17, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/29/the-green-energy-crisis-is-here-part-1/
  66. The Green Energy Crisis, Part 2, “Meet Some of the People that Caused it”,  June 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/06/14/green-energy-crisis-part-2-meet-the-policy-makers-that-caused-it/
  67. The Green Energy Crisis, Part 3, June 26, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/06/26/green-energy-crisis-part-3-public-energy-education-is-needed-each-person-in-the-u-s-uses-about-315-million-btus-of-primary-energy-year-this-is-not-practical-or-even-possible-to-replace-with-win/
  68.   Review of Harold Hamm’s Book, “Gamechanger” on Dick Storm blog: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/09/17/harold-hamms-book-game-changer-a-must-read-for-elected-officials-and-candidates-for-elective-office/
  69.  Over Achieving Minorities in Western Civilization, Nov. 11, 2023 :  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/11/11/over-achieving-minorities-of-western-civilization/
  70. Wake Up America! Sept. 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/09/20/please-wake-up-america-your-energy-and-electricity-generation-reliability-are-at-risk/
  71.  Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 1,  79 Quadrillion BTUs, The Enormity of the Fossil Energy Systems Providing Sustainable Lives, Jan. 11, 2024 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/01/11/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-1-79-quadrillion-btusthe-enormity-of-the-fossil-energy-systems-providing-sustainable-lives/
  72.  Influencers of U.S. Energy Policy, January 3, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/01/04/influencers-of-american-energy-policy/
  73. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 2, The Reality of Replacing Conventional Forms of Energy, Jan. 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/06/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-2-some-facts-on-the-reality-of-replacing-conventional-forms-of-energy/
  74.  Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 3, The Transition that Isn’t, from the perspective of Minerals, Feb. 8, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/08/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-3-the-transition-that-isnt-from-the-perspective-of-minerals/
  75. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 4, The True Agenda for Climate Policies, Feb. 13, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/13/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-electricity-generation-and-environmental-protection-part-4-what-is-the-true-agenda-for-climate-policies/
  76. Energy Matters! March 2024 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/11/energy-matters/
  77. Update on Hawaii’s “Green New Deal” March 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/20/hawaii-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-the-green-new-deal-aka-inflation-reduction-act-here-is-an-update/
  78. The Rise and Fall of Nations from the perspective of nuclear power systems manufacturing: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/08/15/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nations-and-the-realities-of-energy/
  79. Thomas J. Shepstone posting on Substack of,  “Energy Matters If You Value the Life You Now Have and Don’t Want to Live Under Socialism
  80.  March 11, 2024: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/energy-matters-if-you-value-the-life?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email  
  81.  Threats to the Electric Grid, March 15, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/15/threats-to-the-grid-electricity-reliability/
  82. Giant Sucking Sound, March 18, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/18/giant-sucking-sound/
  83. “Update on Hawaii’s Glimpse of the Future of the Green New Deal” March 20, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/20/hawaii-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-the-green-new-deal-aka-inflation-reduction-act-here-is-an-update/
  84. The Reality of Electrifying Everything,  April 9, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/04/09/the-reality-of-electrifying-everything-and-the-primary-energy-required-to-generate-the-electricity/
  85. Am I Missing Something? Here is an Update on Hyundai’s Commitment to their EV Meta Plant in Georgia:   https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/04/14/am-i-missing-something-on-evs-here-is-an-update-on-hyundais-meta-plant-commitment-to-evs-and-hydrogen-vehicles/
  86. Tom Shepstone post on Substack of Dick Storm letter to Senator Tom Davis: https://energysecurityfreedom.substack.com/p/a-balanced-energy-portfolio-is-critical/comments
  87. Dick Storm LI Post on SC Energy policies and failed coal and nuclear plant plans: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7184184178920312833?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  88. Saving America: Issues that Matter, April 28, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/04/29/saving-america-from-destructive-policies-the-real-issues-that-matter-part-1/
  89. How Can a 6,000 MW Utility in 2030 Become a 9,000 MW Utility in 2050 and Still Meet Net Zero Carbon? Update of last year’s article, May 2, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/05/02/how-can-a-6000-mw-regional-utility-in-2030-which-likely-will-be-a-9000-mw-utility-in-2050-achieve-net-zero-carbon-an-update-on-my-electricity-provider-in-south-carolina/
  90. Coal’s Final Battle, May 18, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/05/20/coals-final-battle/
  91. Tom Shepstone’s Substack repost of Dick Storm commentary, May 20, 2024: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/why-we-the-american-people-must-win?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
  92. Visualizing 100 Quadrillion BTUs. Shouldn’t Coal Remain in our Energy Mix?” : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/02/visualizing-100-quadrillion-btus-of-primary-energy-coal-should-remain-in-our-energy-mix/
  93. We the People vs. The Ten Headed Swamp Monster     :  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/10/we-the-people-vs-net-zero-indoctrination-by-the-ten-headed-swamp-monster/
  94. The Magnificent and Indispensable Heat Engines Society Depends on: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/30/the-magnificent-and-indispensable-heat-engine-on-which-civil-society-depends-part-1-heat-engines-1-3-million-horsepower/ 
  95. The Magnificent and Indispensable Heat Engine, Part II, Focus on Ocean Shipping: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/08/07/the-magnificent-and-indispensable-heat-engine-on-which-civil-society-depends-part-ii-focus-on-fossil-fuels-for-ocean-shipping/
  96. The Magnificent and Indispensable Heat Engine, Part III, August 13, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/08/13/the-magnificent-and-indispensable-heat-engine-on-which-civil-society-depends-part-iii-internal-combustion-engines-up-to-110000-horsepower/
  97. The Coming Electricity Reliability Crisis and the Importance of Coal, Sept. 12, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/09/12/the-electricity-reliability-crisis-and-the-importance-of-american-coal/
  98. The Kingdom of Heaven Runs on Righteousness, The Kingdom of Earth Runs on Energy, Oct. 3, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/10/03/heaven-runs-on-righteousness-earth-runs-on-energy/
  99. Charley Reese’s Last Column, “545 vs. 300,000,000 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/11/27/charley-reeses-last-column-a-classic-commentary-written-over-twenty-years-ago/
  100.  Why is Western Civilization Self Sabotaging the Primary Energy that Provides 80% of the fuel for America’s Life-Blood of Reliable Electricity, with the War on Carbon?.     : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/12/17/why-is-western-civilization-self-sabotaging-the-primary-energy-sources-that-provide-80-of-the-fuel-for-americas-life-blood-of-reliable-electricity-with-the-war-on-carbon/
  101. Musings on the Self-Sabotaging Energy Policies and a Reminder of the History of the Rise and Fall of Nations:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/01/13/musings-on-self-sabotaging-energy-policies-and-a-reminder-of-the-history-of-the-rise-and-fall-of-nations/
  102. The EPA “Endangerment Finding” and why it Needs to Go, Feb. 2, 2025: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-1ZW
  103. The SWAMP MONSTER vs. 300 Million Americans, Feb. 21, 2025: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/02/21/the-swamp-monster-vs-the-best-interests-of-the-united-states-of-america/
  104. Thomas J. Shepstone Substack on Dick Storm’s “Primer on How to Ensure Electricity Security (and How to Destroy It)”:  https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/a-primer-on-how-to-ensure-energy?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false 
  105.  Dick Storm article on the 151 coal plants planned in 2007-2009: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/03/19/the-u-s-self-inflicted-electricity-generation-crisis-was-created-by-gongo-the-swamp-monster-here-is-how-to-end-it/
  106. U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA),  S.C. Energy Profile: https://www.eia.gov/state/print.php?sid=SC
  107. U.S. EIA, Electricity explained: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-in-the-us-generation-capacity-and-sales.php
  108. S.C. Energy Office, Charts and discussion of S.C. energy and electricity generation: https://south-carolina-energy-office-1-1-scors-eo.hub.arcgis.com/pages/electricity-data#clcw7fc2k
  109. EIA Dashboard, this shows the actual generation by fuel and region in real time: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/gridmonitor/dashboard/electric_overview/balancing_authority/SC
  110. Santee-Cooper Integrated Resource Plan for future electricity generation assets. This is the latest 2024 update: https://www.santeecooper.com/About/Integrated-Resource-Plan/Reports-and-Materials/Santee-Cooper-2024-IRP-Update.pdf
  111. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Energy Flow Charts: https://flowcharts.llnl.gov
  112. Bjorn Lomberg on the High Cost of Solar and Wind, Climate Change Dispatch, Jan. 2, 2025: https://climatechangedispatch.com/wind-solar-hidden-truth-behind-rising-electric-bills/
  113. Frazer Institute, “Hot Air, Cold Truths, Bjorn Lomberg, March 2025: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/hot-air-and-cold-truths-bjorn-lomborg
  114. Delaware County Insider, Wind and Solar are Expensive, Bjorn Lomberg, May 24,  2024: https://delawarevalleyjournal.com/lomborg-the-true-cost-of-wind-and-solar-energy/
  115. Yahoo Finance and National Post, March 2025, Bjorn Lomberg, Wind and Solar are Expensive: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/bjorn-lomborg-solar-wind-power-100008520.html
  116. What Happened to the 151 Coal Plants Planned in 2008? GEM: https://www.gem.wiki/What_happened_to_the_151_proposed_coal_plants%3F
  117. NETL Slide Deck on Coal Plant resurgence 2007: https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/netl_new_coal_5.2007.pdf
  118. POWER Mag Siting of New Coal Plants, Considerations, Mar. 2008: https://www.powermag.com/the-future-of-coal-power-development-and-siting-obstacles-for-new-coal-plants/
  119. POWER, May 2011 Coal Fleet References at the time: https://www.powermag.com/predicting-u-s-coal-plant-retirements/
  120. POWER Magazine ct. 2018 on MATS Rule impact on coal plants: https://www.powermag.com/how-did-mats-affect-u-s-coal-generation/
  121. WEF April 2019 Fall of Coal Plants Worldwide: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2019/04/chart-shows-fall-in-planned-coal-power-iea/
  122. Power Engineering Feb. 2024 A look at Projected  Coal Retirements: https://www.power-eng.com/coal/plant-decommissioning/a-look-at-projected-u-s-coal-and-gas-plant-retirements/
  123. Univ. of Chicago, 2010 Report on Coal Plant Retirements: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/717217
    Institute for Energy Economics Report on Coal Plant Closures (about 50% by 2026) with data from peak 2011 Capacity of 318 GW, April 2023: https://ieefa.org/resources/us-track-close-half-coal-capacity-2026  
  124. Alabama Attorney General is Amongst 22 Other States Calling for Coal Fuel to Revive the Electric Grid: https://gulfcoastmedia.com/stories/alabama-attorney-general-calls-for-reviving-americas-energy-grid-with-coal,257548?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0XeLob6rYc5WaBBtSyuB7vHctTdzVhTJxJZ96bExtALJBFoqUPAJPKaY0_aem_8TNpNEKQSIdjNrJTJeBF8Q#//
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The U.S. Self-Inflicted Electricity Generation Crisis Was Created by GONGO the SWAMP Monster, Here is How to End IT!

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Hint: Go back to 2007 plans to build 151 new coal plants!

I have given numerous presentations and written much on the “Self-Inflicted” Electricity Crisis. Well, now thanks to the efforts of President Trump, Lee Zeldin, Elon Musk and DOGE, the influence of the destructive Green, so-called, “Climate Policies” have uncovered a tangled web of the SWAMP, Bureaucrats, NGO’s, WEF, Woke Corporations, MSM, Politicians, Fraud, Misguided Federal Judges and Corruption. I wrote about “GONGO the 14 Headed SWAMP Monster” on a previous article, here.

The answer to providing reliable, affordable, clean and Dispatchable Bulk Power Generation has been proven.

The new plant construction plans in place between 2007-2009 would have, if completed, completely eliminated the electricity generation crisis the U.S. is faced with for 2025. So, why were such well thought out plans scrapped? Because of the EPA’s Endangerment Finding.

The Answer: Build 151 New Coal Plants!

America had a plan to build about 151 new modern coal power plants. The “Endangerment Finding” was politically based, it was not based on science or for protecting public health. The proposed 151 new coal plants in 2007 was a good plan. In my opinion, it is still a good plan now! What other form of Dispatchable, 24/7, affordable cost power generation capacity can be built in ten years that has on-site fuel storage? Nuclear is a good idea but it will require more time to rebuild the supply-chain. Natural gas plants, in my opinion, are over-built and nearly all of them have no on-site fuel storage and are always susceptible to pipeline flow disruptions.

Coal power is the best fuel choice to provide the replacement of the lost 125,000 MW of coal plant capacity. New electricity generation capacity is needed ASAP, as electricity growth is now about 2-4% per year to provide the needed power to reshore primary metals production, manufacturing and to power new AI servers. I presented a presentation based on the loss of aluminum manufacturing in America and the shifting of production to China. This is here and here

Two of the NETL slides from a 2007 presentation on Tracking of New Coal Plants are copied below.

Power Magazine in 2010 had an article entitled, “Coal is Down but Not Out” and went on to describe 340 coal plant projects scheduled for 2011.

I remember these years well, they were very good years for business. Three plants that were memorable to me were the 600 MW Pee Dee Coal plant planned by Santee-Cooper, the 600 MW Turk Plant in Arkansas and the 1960 MW FP&L Glades Plant in Florida.

AEP did build one of the Turk planned four units and it is a magnificent Ultrasupercritical plant with a fine operating record. However, the other three units were cancelled due “Sue and Settle law fare by the EPA and NGO’s”. The Pee Dee Coal Plant components were purchased but it was never assembled/erected. References below if you are interested for these and over 100 other canceled coal plants.

About 2010 The EPA SWAMP Monster Strikes

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation listed at least 100,000 MW of coal plants shut down in the 2022 Summer Report. One table from that report is copied below which shows the growth in non-Dispatch able (Nameplate Capacity) wind and solar an decline of 21.4% coal generation between 2011 and 2021.

Another report by the Brattle Group showed the coal power generation decline of about 125,000 MW in coal plant capacity since 2005.

So My Friends, That is Why America is Facing A “Self-Inflicted” Electricity Generation Capacity Crisis

This crisis could have been averted had the politicians did three things:

1. NOT escalated the “War on Coal”,

2. Conquered GONGO the SWAMP Monster

3. NOT promoted the “Green New Deal”

Dick Storm and Donn Dears Suggestions on How to Fix IT

The late Donn Dears wrote many books and articles on his blog site over the last 15 years. He was one of the first published authors to warn Americans. His last book, “Clean Energy Crisis” chapter 8 sums up “what it would take for America to replace the fossil fuel power plants”. This was written in 2022 before the electricity load growth of AI Servers and President Trump’s policies to reshore manufacturing in the U.S. Here is a summary of “What Dears Stated it would take to Replace Fossil Fueled Generation by 2050”

Nuclear-Build 881 new nuclear plants similar to Georgia Power Plant Vogtle. Units 3 & 4 took ten years to build 2,200 MW of new capacity

Build 995,141 2.5MW Wind Turbines

Build 3,918,996 MW of Solar Generation capacity

I suggest you buy a copy of Donn’s book, it is available on Amazon. Read the detailed analysis. Long story short, eliminating coal and natural gas is impossible if we are to continue our high quality of life.

Electricity Demand and Cost is Rising

The cost of electricity is rising and the Demand growing. Coal plants produce affordable, reliable and Dispatchable electricity generation. Also, with months of on-site fuel storage a practical reality.

Before Gongo the SWAMP Monster there was Common Sense and well delivered engineering excellence of reliable, affordable coal power generation. This combined to power the GDP rise of America. The coal use and GDP growth paralleled each other up till 2010. The God given treasure of high quality coal resources of America are still available to use, we should do so.

Conclusions

The War on Coal and Climate Policies of the Democrat Party and the rest of the SWAMP has severely harmed America’s productive capability and competitiveness with China and the rest of the world. Thanks to President Trump, now the sources of funding the propaganda and indoctrination of the public is becoming known. At least known by those of us interested in learning and digging into the roots of the destructive policies of Biden, Obama and the Democrat controlled Congress. Thankfully, we have President Trump and a competent Cabinet of American Patriots now at the top tier of our government. It is my hope and prayer that all or at least most Americans will support Common Sense Energy Policies and the reduction of waste, fraud, corruption and abuse of taxpayer dollars.

Respectfully,

Dick Storm, March 18, 2025

References and for Further Research on Coal Power and energy policies in America:

  1. POWER Magazine/Coal Power 2009 on New Source Review: https://www.powermag.com/new-source-review-update/
  2. What Happened to the 151 Coal Plants Planned in 2008? GEM: https://www.gem.wiki/What_happened_to_the_151_proposed_coal_plants%3F
  3. NETL Slide Deck on Coal Plant resurgence 2007: https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/netl_new_coal_5.2007.pdf
  4. POWER Mag Siting of New Coal Plants, Considerations, Mar. 2008: https://www.powermag.com/the-future-of-coal-power-development-and-siting-obstacles-for-new-coal-plants/
  5. POWER, May 2011 Coal Fleet References at the time: https://www.powermag.com/predicting-u-s-coal-plant-retirements/
  6. POWER Magazine ct. 2018 on MATS Rule impact on coal plants: https://www.powermag.com/how-did-mats-affect-u-s-coal-generation/
  7. WEF April 2019 Fall of Coal Plants Worldwide: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2019/04/chart-shows-fall-in-planned-coal-power-iea/
  8. Power Engineering Feb. 2024 A look at Projected  Coal Retirements: https://www.power-eng.com/coal/plant-decommissioning/a-look-at-projected-u-s-coal-and-gas-plant-retirements/
  9. Univ. of Chicago, 2010 Report on Coal Plant Retirements: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/717217
  10. Institute for Energy Economics Report on Coal Plant Closures (about 50% by 2026) with data from peak 2011 Capacity of 318 GW, April 2023: https://ieefa.org/resources/us-track-close-half-coal-capacity-2026  
  11. Coal Plant Construction Costs in 2008 by Schlissel Technical :  https://schlissel-technical.com/docs/reports_35.pdf
  12. American Public Power 2024 Update of U.S. Generating Capacity: https://www.publicpower.org/system/files/documents/Americas-Electricity-Generation-Capacity-2024.pdf
  13. POWER Mag. 2009, Seminole Electric Scraps $1.4 Billion New Coal Plant Plan: https://www.powermag.com/seminole-scraps-plans-for-1-4-billion-coal-fired-unit-in-florida/
  14. Power Mag. 2006 New Coal Plants Texas and Hanoi: https://www.powermag.com/projects/
  15. POWER Mag. 2010 Coal Power Down, Not Out: https://www.powermag.com/u-s-coal-fired-power-development-down-but-not-out/?itm_source=parsely-api
  16. E3G Report on G7 Coal Plant Retirements, 2021: https://www.e3g.org/news/strong-currents-g7-coal-transition-data-trends/
  17. Brattle Group Report, 2023 on Review of Coal Plant Generation: https://www.brattle.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/A-Review-of-Coal-Fired-Electricity-Generation-in-the-U.S..pdf
  18. 2012- Truthdig Report 1200 New Coal Plants Planned Worldwide: https://www.truthdig.com/articles/1200-new-coal-power-plants-planned-worldwide/  
  19. Geni.org Over 1000 New Coal Plants Planned in 2012 Guardian: https://www.geni.org/globalenergy/library/technical-articles/transmission/the-guardian/more-than-1000-new-coal-plants-planned-worldwide,%20figures-show/index1.shtml  
  20. POWER Mag Aug. 2009, City of Springfield Dahlman Coal Plant Startup, Plant of Year:  https://www.powermag.com/city-of-springfields-cwlp-dallman-4-earns-powers-highest-honor/  
  21. TXU Faces a Texas Coal Rush, CNN Business, 2007, 11 New Coal Plants Planned: https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/02/19/8400164/index.htm
  22. U.S. Coal Generation by Analysis Group, 2023: https://www.analysisgroup.com/globalassets/insights/publishing/2023-tierney-coal-generation-report.pdf
  23. Statista Coal Power Plants Planned for Future by Country as of July 2024: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1276614/capacity-of-proposed-coal-power-plants-by-country/
  24.  Wikipedia List of U.S. Coal Power Plants: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_coal-fired_power_stations_in_the_United_States
  25. EIA News Nov. 2022  on a Quarter of U.S. Coal Capacity to retire by 2029: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=54559
  26. EIA Coal Power Generation as of March 2025: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia860m/
  27. IER Coal Plant Retirements since 2010: https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/fossil-fuels/coal/u-s-coal-fired-power-plants-continue-to-retire/
  28. EIA Coal Plant Retirements 2010-2019: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=40212  
  29. Washington Examiner articles on Coal power: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/coal/#google_vignette
  30. Energy and Economic Prosperity, Talk to Delaware County Bar Association, July 2016: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2016/07/25/energy-and-economic-prosperity-my-thoughts-dick-storm/
  31. The Importance of Energy for Economic Prosperity, Part 4, The Rise of the U.S and the Rise of China from an energy perspective: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2020/09/21/part-4-the-importance-of-energy-to-economic-prosperity/
  32. Global Energy Monitor report on FP&L Glades Power Plant cancellation, 2007: https://www.gem.wiki/Glades
  33. The SWAMP MONSTER vs. 300 Million Americans, Feb. 21, 2025: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2025/02/21/the-swamp-monster-vs-the-best-interests-of-the-united-states-of-america/
  34. Donn Dears book, “Clean Energy Crisis” 2022
  35. IEA World Energy Prices, Dec. 2024: https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-product/energy-prices#energy-prices-and-taxes
  36. Western Electricity Markets reports: https://www.westerneim.com/Pages/About/QuarterlyBenefits.aspx
  37.  Isaac Orr and Mitch Rolling Substack article summarizing the J.P. Morgan Chase 2025 Energy report: https://open.substack.com/pub/energybadboys/p/9-takeaways-from-the-jp-morgan-chase?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
  38. Heliocentrism, March 4th , 2025, J.P. Morgan Chase Energy Report: https://assets.jpmprivatebank.com/content/dam/jpm-pb-aem/global/en/documents/eotm/heliocentrism.pdf
  39. Thomas Troszak articles on the fallacy of renewables: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335083312_Why_do_we_burn_coal_and_trees_to_make_solar_panels?
  40. Thomas Troszak Energy Highlights contained in NATO Report on Energy and Security: https://www.enseccoe.org/publications/energy-highlights-no-16/
  41. Rafe Champion website, March 18, 2025: https://www.flickerpower.com/index.php/search/categories/general/list-of-briefing-notes
  42. National Mining Association, (NMA) https://mineralsmakelife.org/blog/early-action-signals-progress-us-mineral-independence-still-hangs-in-balance/
  43.  EIA on Electricity Growth of AI centers: https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-releases-new-report-evaluating-increase-electricity-demand-data-centers
  44. Utility Dive, Rising Demand Could Increase Electricity Prices 19% by 2028, Electricity Growth 68% by 2050: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/us-electricity-prices-19-percent-higher-2028-ICF/727317/
  45. EIA Energy Outlook, March 11, 2025: https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/report/elec_coal_renew.php
  46. America’s Treasure of Fossil Fuels, Update of 2011 presentation to ASME: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/11/26/americas-treasure-of-fossil-fuels/
  47.  American Dream = 100 Quadrillion BTUs per Year April 7, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/04/american-dream-100-quadrillion-btus/
  48.   Providing a Sustainable Million BTUs per Day/Person, May 17,  2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/05/17/providing-a-sustainable-million-btus-per-day-per-person-by-fuel-source/
  49.  “The War on Carbon, How it Came to Be”, Oct. 16, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/10/16/the-war-on-carbon-how-it-came-to-be/
  50. Energy and Economic Prosperity, Jan. 11, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/01/03/energy-and-economic-prosperity/
  51. Energy and World Peace, April, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/04/05/energy-world-peace/
  52. Without New Thinking on Nuclear Power, Anti-Carbon Policy Can’t Succeed, Nov. 11, 2021 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/11/13/without-new-thinking-on-nuclear-power-anti-carbon-climate-policy-cant-succeed/
  53. The Rise and Fall and Rise Again  of Nations and the  Realities of Energy: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/08/15/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nations-and-the-realities-of-energy/
  54. America Needs 100 Quadrillion BTUs of Primary Energy Each Year, May 16, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/16/back-to-basics-the-u-s-needs-100-quadrillion-btus-year-of-primary-energy/  
  55. Pillars of Modern Civilization, Ammonia, Food, Steel, Concrete, Plastics, Aluminum, July 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/25/pillars-of-modern-civilization-all-dependent-on-energy/
  56. How Can a 6,000 MW Utility that will be a 9,000MW Utility in 2050, become Net-Zero Carbon? April 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/04/27/how-can-a-6000-mw-regional-utility-in-2030-which-likely-will-be-a-9000-mw-utility-in-2050-achieve-net-zero-carbon/
  57. Dick Storm Blog post, “Wake Up Americans!” Sept. 21, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/09/20/please-wake-up-america-your-energy-and-electricity-generation-reliability-are-at-risk/
  58. THE ERA OF RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE, ENERGY AND ELECTRICITY GENERATION: PART 1
    https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/10/04/the-era-of-reliable-affordable-energy-and-electricity-generation-part-1/
  59. The Green Energy Crisis is Here, Part 1, Sept. 17, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/29/the-green-energy-crisis-is-here-part-1/
  60. The Green Energy Crisis, Part 2, “Meet Some of the People that Caused it”,  June 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/06/14/green-energy-crisis-part-2-meet-the-policy-makers-that-caused-it/
  61. The Green Energy Crisis, Part 3, June 26, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/06/26/green-energy-crisis-part-3-public-energy-education-is-needed-each-person-in-the-u-s-uses-about-315-million-btus-of-primary-energy-year-this-is-not-practical-or-even-possible-to-replace-with-win/
  62. EPA New Source Review  Settlements Summaries: https://www.gem.wiki/EPA_Coal_Plant_Settlements
  63. EPA Settlements on NSR violations by WEPCO 2003: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/wisconsin-electric-power-company-wepco-clean-air-act-civil-settlement 
  64. Dissertation on the Sierra Club Success of Beyond Coal Campaign 2020: https://www.proquest.com/openview/b734be1b4fa402463fbb2ee03a7993e5/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
  65. Inside the War on Coal Politico, The Agenda 2015: https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/05/inside-war-on-coal-000002/
  66. NRDC China Office: https://chinadevelopmentbrief.org/ngos/natural-resources-defense-council-nrdc/  
  67. Government Accountability Office Report on Environmental Protection Agency–Application of Publicity or Propaganda and Anti-Lobbying Provisions
    EPA Lobbying, 2015: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-326944 
  68. NRDC About us and link to IRS 990 Form: https://www.nrdcactionfund.org/about/
  69. Influence Watch, NRDC page: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/natural-resources-defense-council-nrdc/
  70. Washington Examiner: Gina McCarthy CEO of NRDC: https://eelegal.org/washington-examiner-gina-mccarthy-and-nrdc-together-again/
  71. Wrong Kind of Green, NRDC and Source Watch: https://www.wrongkindofgreen.org/the-group-of-ten/natural-resources-defense-council/
  72. Bezos awards $100 million to NRDC : https://www.nrdc.org/media/2020/201116
  73. Bezos plans to give Billions to Environmental Org’s: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/20/jeff-bezos-pledges-1-billion-to-conservation-through-bezos-earth-fund.html
  74. Activist Facts,  Environmental Report (Follow the Money): https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/19-natural-resources-defense-council/
  75. Washington Examiner 2013 EPA and Sue and Settle Lawsuits: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/epas-back-room-sue-and-settle-deals-require-reform
  76. Activist Facts, Sierra Club, Beyond Coal, Beyond Gas, Nuclear :https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/194-sierra-club/
  77. Mother Jones 2012, Sierra Club “War on Coal” update to kill 167 coal plants: https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2012/04/map-american-coal-plants/
  78. AEP Newsletter to employees and Retirees on Turk Plant Settlement: https://aepretirees.com/2011/12/22/aep-resolves-all-legal-challenges-against-turk-plant-plant-on-track-to-begin-commercial-operation-in-2012/
  79. PowerEngineering Articles on Turk and Duke Coal plant closures, 2/01/2012: https://www.power-eng.com/renewables/aep-resolves-all-legal-challenges-against-turk-plant/#gref
  80. Source Watch Brags on NRDC being responsible for forcing shutting down of Seven major coal plants in Texas in 2007: 
    https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Natural_Resources_Defense_Council#Support_for_coal_gasification
  81. Environmental Defense Fund: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Defense_Fund
  82. Influence Watch profile of EDF: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/environmental-defense-action-fund/
    Paul Driessen Federalist Papers on Global Warming News: https://thefederalist.com/category/science/global-warming/
  83. Dick Storm Blog Short Link, Energy and Food Production: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-vU
  84. WUWT, Article, July 8, 2022, Green Communism, Eradicate the Energy Privilege of Rich Countries:  https://wattsupwiththat.com/2022/07/08/green-communism-eradicate-the-energy-privilege-of-rich-countries/
  85. Short Links to Dick Storm Blog: the War on Carbon, How it Came to Be, Oct. 2021: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-ek
  86. Short Link: American Dream= 100 Quadrillion Btu’s: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/04/american-dream-100-quadrillion-btus/
  87. Short Link to Example of a Balanced Portfolio: 
    https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/06/08/balanced-portfolio-of-generation-here-is-an-example/ 
  88. Capital Research Center, Excellent resources for checking policy influencers. Here is one example of their work in 2010 on exposing the Sierra Club: https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-sierra-clubs-war-on-coal/
Coal Power, Energy, Politics and Economic Prosperity, Fossil Fuels are Important, Regulations

Existing EPA Rules Increase Costs and Will Cause Rationing of Electricity in South Carolina, if Endangerment Finding is NOT Repealed

2 Comments

Cost of Power in S.C. will Increase and Electricity Availability will Decrease. I will try to explain why…

Earlier this week I was honored to share the instructional duties of a short course on EV’s with my friend Henrik de Gyor at USCB-OLLI in Bluffton, S.C. Later, my friend Thomas Shepstone published the fact sheets that we provided to the 75 or so attendees to the course. It was enjoyable and satisfying to share our experiences and knowledge with this group, which had very good Energy IQ’s and good questions.

One takeaway for me was the reminder that charging EV’s in a few years is going to be problematic if the sales of EV’s picks up and they become very popular. Why? Because the Bulk Electric power supply to charge them is under siege by remaining Federal and state Regulations and laws. Namely, the EPA-“Endangerment Finding”. This Rule which basically considers CO2 a pollutant, is the at the heart of the government’s “War on Fossil Fuels”. Remember when Obama’s Administration increased the Fleet Fuel Mileage standard to 54.5 mpg”? Many engineers and car enthusiasts wondered, “How could that ever happen, it is impossible to obtain a fleet average fuel economy of 54.5 mpg with a fleet of 3500 pound+ cars and SUV’s that American’s love”. The answer, force most people to drive EV’s whether we want them or not.

Up till now, the general public has not been affected by this extreme and restrictiveRule. Call it law. But, if not repealed it will weaken America, drive electricity prices higher and provide government more control of our freedoms. I have written previous articles on Santee-Cooper, the EPA Endangerment Finding and importance of Electricity.

Over 100 links of relevant technical and political references are included at the end. These are to provide confidence for the reader that the conclusions written here are in-fact, well thought out & researched.

Let me explain below what it means from an electricity generation viewpoint and the harm these Federal EPA Rules have done to impact the people of my adopted state of South Carolina.

Bulk Power Supply to Palmetto Electric

Let me be specific and discuss the Bulk Power Supply for our area, the low country of South Carolina. One of the few regions in the U.S. that still has a regional utility. This region is supplied electricity by Palmetto Electric which is a cooperative. Palmetto Electric does not generate electricity, they transmit and distribute electricity to homes and businesses in our area. They do a very good job at it. Palmetto Electric obtains its primary supply of Bulk Electric Power from Santee-Cooper. (the term Bulk Power refers to huge quantities of electricity measured in Megawatts). Santee-Cooper is also known as “South Carolina Public Service Authority”. This is a state owned agency and is governed by the Legislature of S.C. and so far is independent of Regionasl RTO’s (Regional Transmission Operators) such as the massive PJM Interconnection. I hope our state remains independent!

The generation assets of Santee-Cooper are listed below, this is from the latest IRP (Integrated Resource Plan). According to Santee-Cooper’s facts, Coal power plants represent 60.1% of the total owned generation. Natural gas 20.9% and Solar 2.5%. This is where Palmetto Electric obtains nearly all of the Bulk Power used on Hilton Head, Bluffton and other areas served by Palmetto Electric. On January 8th, 2025 coal power provided over 88% of the electricity generated. That is because it was needed then and coal also was the lowest cost fuel at that moment. So, the percentages of installed capacity do not necessarily match actual generation.

Here is a graph of the actual generation, by fuel for a cold week in January 2025.

Why are Electricity Rates Rising?

The path to replacing coal power with solar, natural gas, wind and Battery Electric Storage Systems (BESS) will be at enormous cost. Worse yet, wind and solar are intermittent generation. They only generate when the wind is blowing and the sun shining, this is obvious to most everyone, but the BESS promoters claim Battery storage will smoothen the generation through the day. (It may for a few hours, but not days). Further, this has been tried by Hawaii, Germany, UK and California and the cost of electricity has risen significantly in each of these locations. Last September I was invited to Liberty University by my friend Dave Walsh. Dave is an energy expert from Florida who has done extensive studies on the Retail cost of electricity. Below is a chart of the ten lowest and the ten highest cost electricity prices in the United States. The highest costs of generation are in the states that are the most aggressive in shutting down coal plants. The low costs in Washington & Oregon are due to the locally abundant and inexpensive hydropower. The other eight low cost electricity states all use significant amounts of coal power, just as Santee-Cooper does now.

Coal power has numerous advantages

Amongst the advantages are:

  • Least cost fuel to generate electricity (from above chart and past history of power costs in S.C.)
  • Coal fuel cost has been stable for decades
  • They are Dispatchable when electricity Demand increases, load can be increased to satisfy Demand
  • Proven Reliability
  • Most resilient in cold weather
  • Long lasting, robust power plants
  • On-site fuel storage capacity for months, unlike pipeline provided natural gas which the flow can be interrupted if there is a control problem or physical damage to the pipeline providing fuel flow to the power plant

Planning to shut these reliable coal plants down is Planning for higher cost & less reliable electricity

Why do I say that? Because that is what has occurred in every location it has been tried. Such as Germany, UK, Hawaii, Canary Islands, California, Denmark and more. Here is some more data provided by my friend Dave Walsh on the cost of electricity in selected countries. This chart is as of last summer 2024. The red dots above the bars indicate more than 30% wind and/or solar on the respective Grids.

The chart above is titled “Comparative Global Economic Access to Electricity”. It is not only cost, it is also a matter of power reliability. In many countries electricity is rationed and industry has been downsized due to either the high cost or the unavailability of electricity. There are reference links provided at the end if you are interested in more details of De-Industrialization due to certain other countries “Self Sabotaging their electricity Infrastructure”. Two are Germany and the U.K. Interestingly, the Panel Discussion at Liberty University that Dave Walsh and I were involved with was titled, “The Impacts of the Coming Self-Inflicted Electricity Generation Crisis”. My written notes and presentation are included in the references. President Trump has declared a “National Energy Emergency”. He is correct in doing so. Let’s take a look at the current planning for South Carolina electricity generation and expected Demand through 2040. The chart below is from Santee-Cooper’s latest (September 2024) IRP.

The dotted black line that shows about 6700 MW Demand in 2030 is about 1700 MW above the installed capacity planned to be owned by Santee-Cooper in 2030. This deficit is planned to be filled with purchased power from other Utilities or IPP’s (Independent Power Producers) and the construction of more natural gas generation. Maybe supplying Bulk Power to meet Demand is possible, but there is a gap between Supply and Peak Demand. Further, if we check the IRP’s for the neighboring Utilities of Duke Energy and Dominion, they too are planning to exit coal about the same time. (Back to the anti-American EPA Rules).

Build nuclear some say. OK, but remember, it took Georgia Power about ten years to build Units 3 & 4 at Plant Vogtle and they cost about 34 Billion dollars. The final cost was well over expected. By the way, Georgia Power, another neighboring and connected Utility recently updated their IRP to keep coal plants running that had previously been announced to be closed.

Long story short, the fact is, the least cost Bulk Power Supply in this region is from the coal plants.

Until new nuclear plants can be constructed and started up, these coal plants need to be properly maintained and…In my opinion, more new coal plants, such as the once planned (and equipment purchased) Pee Dee Coal Plant should be built. Why? for two reasons. To satisfy the growth in Demand and do so with reasonable cost equipment using the most reasonable cost fuel that is proven. By the way, the cost of electricity production in a Thermal plant 75-92% fuel cost. That’s right, double the cost of natural gas in a gas plant and the production cost of electricity nearly doubles with it.

One outstanding plan was to build the 600 MW Pee Dee County coal plant. This was properly planned in 2008, but stopped in 2011 due to environmental activism against CO2 production of coal fuel. Here is an artists depiction of that plant

I remember Mr. Bill McCall, (now retired) then a senior executive at Santee-Cooper presenting a case for why it was needed. He was right. It should not have been canceled. Of course, the Summer nuclear plant expansion of units 2 and 3 was also a good plan. References below if you are interested in the history of the Summer units 2 and 3. Topics for another day. Let’s get back to the likely difficulty of keeping South Carolina’s existing high electricity Demand industries (Nucor and Century Aluminum are just two) and also, supplying power to provide a transportation fuel to thousands of EV’s in 2032.

Charging Your EV in 2030

I have tried to show how electricity may become limited when the coal plants are shut down. Also, as they are replaced with plants that burn natural gas, the electricity prices are likely to be higher. Have you heard the terms “Demand Response” and “Smart Meters”? These are polite terms for “Rationing”. Demand Response of the utility shutting off your water heater or your air conditioner for a few moments or an hour is not a big deal. However, in 2032 when you come home and plan to charge your EV, it may not be allowable until late at night. Maybe not a problem? But, maybe you would like to charge your EV to be available just as your current ICE powered vehicle is available on a moments notice? I encourage you to read the Santee-Cooper IRP and follow the news on power generation in South Carolina. Yes, South Carolina is a leader in nuclear power, our state ranks #3 in the nation. But for our region, only 322 MW of power come from the Summer Unit #1 nuclear plant. Therefore, the existing EPA Rules, in particular the “Endangerment Finding” will impact all of those served by Palmetto Electric.

Conclusions

  1. The EPA Endangerment Finding needs to be repealed so that Utilities can get back to proper planning of affordable, reliable electricity generation
  2. The State Legislature should push back on extreme EPA Rules that are rooted in political bias, not protection of human health or the environment
  3. The Pee Dee Coal Plant should be constructed, as was planned in 2008.

Our state Senator Tom Davis understands energy and electricity generation better than most. I wish him good success in improving the Energy IQ of his colleagues in the Legislature. My Congressional Representative is Nancy Mace, I will be writing her as well. I encourage my friends to do likewise. If our elected representatives do not hear from us, South Carolina’s electricity prices and availability may match California or Hawaii’s in the future.

Respectfully,

Dick Storm, February 28, 2025

References and Reading for Additional Research

  1. President Trump’s National Energy Emergency EO: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/declaring-a-national-energy-emergency/
  2. The Kingdom of Heaven Runs on Righteousness, The Kingdom of Earth Runs on Energy, Oct. 3, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/10/03/heaven-runs-on-righteousness-earth-runs-on-energy/
  3. Here is a linkedIn post I made: Dick Storm LI Post on SC Energy policies and failed coal and nuclear plant plans: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7184184178920312833?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  4. How Can a 6,000 MW Utility that will be a 9,000 MW Utility in 2050, become Net-Zero Carbon? April 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/04/27/how-can-a-6000-mw-regional-utility-in-2030-which-likely-will-be-a-9000-mw-utility-in-2050-achieve-net-zero-carbon/
  5. Dick Storm’s views on the 2009 EPA-Endangerment Finding”: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-1ZW
  6. Texas Tribune report on Feb. 2021 cold weather storm deaths: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/01/02/texas-winter-storm-final-death-toll-246/#:~:text=Texas%20has%20added%2036%20more,disasters%20in%20the%20state’s%20history.
  7. South Carolina Legislation to achieve Net-Zero Carbon and replace coal generation with carbon free primary energy: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/bills/3194.htm
  8. Thomas J. Shepstone Substack on Dick Storm’s “Primer on How to Ensure Electricity Security (and How to Destroy It)”:  https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/a-primer-on-how-to-ensure-energy?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
  9. Thomas J. Shepstone substack article. “A Balanced Energy Portfolio is Critical but South Carolina Doesn’t Seem Get It” : https://energysecurityfreedom.substack.com/p/a-balanced-energy-portfolio-is-critical?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
  10. Post & Courier article on Power Demand increase from Data Centers, April 2024: https://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/editorials/google-data-centers-energy-hogs/article_1c7b558c-062b-11ef-836f-87365c650aef.html
  11. WLTX News on Data Center Power Requirements, April 2024: https://www.wltx.com/article/news/local/south-carolina-energy-data-centers/101-9a055fc9-e66f-4e3e-bebb-c58f5b7c1ab5
  12. POWER Magazine on stopping construction of Pee Dee Coal Plant in 2009: https://www.powermag.com/south-carolinas-santee-cooper-shelves-2-billion-coal-plant-project/
  13. Inside Climate News, 2011:  https://insideclimatenews.org/news/05042011/coal-plant-canceled-south-carolina-santee-cooper-parts-for-sale/
  14. Engineering News Record, 2016: https://www.enr.com/articles/23106-santee-cooper-nixes-plans-for-proposed-2-2-billion-pee-dee-energy-campus
  15. Post and Courier, 2009: https://www.postandcourier.com/news/pulling-the-plug-on-pee-dee-plant/article_3372de17-64a1-5d91-aaea-84c83fcc792f.html
  16. Global Energy Monitor article on Pee Dee coal plant:  https://www.gem.wiki/Pee_Dee_Generating_Facility
  17. Battle Between Reality and Fantasy in Nuclear Power in Pacific Northwest, Substack, Dec. 12, 2024: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/a-battle-between-climate-fantasy?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
  18. POWER on Nuclear Fuel Supply, Dec. 2024: https://www.powermag.com/six-companies-tapped-for-2-7-billion-leu-push-to-boost-domestic-nuclear-fuel-supply/?utm_source=omeda&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pwrnews+eletter&oly_enc_id=3214I3524889A9B
  19. Dick Storm panel notes for presentation, “Impacts of the U.S. Self-Inflicted Electricity Crisis”, Liberty University, Sept. 2024: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7266497381574098944?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  20. LinkedIn Wish Bakshi on the German Energy experience: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7271156730317750272?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  21. LinkedIn Post on “Clean Energy Funding” by Mark Lewis: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7270766274668892160?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  22. Recurrent Blackouts in New York by 2026: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7269663571012161536?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  23. LinkedIn post of Liberty University presentation by David Walsh, Sept. 2024: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7266777394617749504?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  24. EPSI (Electric Power Supply Institute) News release Dec. 17, 2024: https://epsa.org/with-nerc-declaring-urgent-need-for-energy-resources-competition-essential-to-meet-the-moment/  
  25. NERC Generation Retirements Infographic, Dec. 17, 2024: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_LTRA_Infographic_2024.pdf
  26. NERC Long Term Reliability Assessment, Dec. 2024: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_Long%20Term%20Reliability%20Assessment_2024.pdf
  27. Dr. Nicholas Kokel Blog on the history of Energy: https://portfolio-pplus.com/Communicator/Details/1023
  28. Lars Schernikau on advantages of nuclear power: https://unpopular-truth.com/2024/02/22/advantages-of-nuclear-energy/
  29. IEA World Energy report: https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2023
  30. POWER Magazine Coal references: https://www.powermag.com/category/coal/
  31. Washington Free Beacon report on CCP funding of Climate Extremists in the U.S. Dec. 19, 2024: https://freebeacon.com/energy/ex-ccp-officials-steered-millions-to-us-based-green-groups-universities-for-climate-initiatives/
  32. IEA World Coal Consumption: https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/global-coal-consumption-2000-2026
  33. Report, Indian Summary of the Role of SMR Reactors in the Energy Transition, May 2023: https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-05/The-Role-of-Small-Modular-Reactors-in-the-Energy-Transition-05162023.pdf  
  34. Lars Schernikau video “Unpopular Truth of Energy”: https://unpopular-truth.com/why-read-the-unpopular-truth/
  35. Daily Skeptic on German Policy Failures, Dec. 27, 2024: https://dailysceptic.org/2024/12/27/germanys-economic-and-political-suicide/
  36. EIA Net Generation over decades, by fuel source: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/  
  37. Mike Caravaggio LI graph of cost of power in 48 states by Coal %: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/michael-caravaggio_was-playing-with-the-eia-electricity-data-activity-7281036749697376257-Jqig?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  38. Summer Nuclear Plant Builders Solicited by Santee-Cooper, Jan. 2025: https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/27/sc_nuclear_reactors_ai/
  39. Doug Sheridan LI post on the cost of Batteries for backup of solar and wind: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sheridandoug_bess-renewables-power-activity-7174507881050910720-7Y24?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  40. Hawaii Electric Update by Civil Beat, Feb. 1, 2024: https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/02/hawaiian-electric-gets-the-green-light-on-its-190-million-resiliency-plan-to-harden-the-grid/
  41. Hawaii Electric Update, Sept. 2023 on “Setting the Record Straight” on the Highest Cost Electricity in Nation: https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/09/setting-the-record-straight-on-resilience-and-renewables/
  42. ASCE Report/update on the 180 MW Battery storage at Hawaii Electric, March 12, 2024: https://www.asce.org/publications-and-news/civil-engineering-source/civil-engineering-magazine/article/2024/03/large-battery-energy-storage-system-now-operating-in-hawaii
  43. Civil Beat article, “Huge Battery Storage Replaces last Coal Plant,” January 2024: https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/01/a-huge-battery-has-replaced-hawaiis-last-coal-plant/
  44. Huge Kapolei Battery Plant Replaces Coal at Hawaii Electric, Canary Media, Kapolei battery is officially online. The pioneering project is a leading example of how to shift crucial grid functions from fossil-fueled plants to clean energy. January 2024: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/energy-storage/a-huge-battery-has-replaced-hawaiis-last-coal-plant
  45. Hawaii Electricity Rates Highest in nation, KHON March 5, 2024: https://www.khon2.com/local-news/hawaii-1-for-expensive-electricity-were-being-priced-out/
  46. EIA List of U.S. Electricity Rates, December 2023, Hawaii Top Rate for Residential $0.416/kWh: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a
  47. Marc Christie to Gulf States, March 10, 2024: https://www.rtoinsider.com/73336-ferc-christie-warns-very-dark-place/
  48. Heritage Foundation on the De-Industrialization of Europe, Feb. 2024: https://www.heritage.org/energy/commentary/high-electricity-prices-have-europe-facing-deindustrialization-dont-let-it-happen.
  49. Hawaii, Green New Deal, A Glimpse into the Future, June 3, 2020: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2020/06/03/hawaii-a-gimpse-into-the-future-of-the-green-new-deal/
  50. The Importance of Energy to Power Our High Quality Lives, Aug. 25, 2020: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2020/08/25/the-importance-of-energy-to-power-high-quality-of-life-part-1/
  51. The Importance of Energy to Power Our High Quality Lives, Part 2, Aug. 28,2020 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2020/08/28/the-importance-of-energy-part-2-our-energy-sources/  
  52. The Importance of Energy, Part 3, Heat Engines, Sept. 9, 2020: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2020/09/09/the-importance-of-energy-part-3-heat-engines-a-primer/
  53. The Importance of Energy for Economic Prosperity, Part 4, The Rise of the U.S and the Rise of China from an energy perspective: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2020/09/21/part-4-the-importance-of-energy-to-economic-prosperity/
  54. Dick Storm thoughts on the “Green New Deal” , Oct. 10, 2020: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2020/10/10/part-5-dick-storms-thoughts-on-the-green-new-deal/
  55. A Thriving Economy and Clean Air Too, Oct. 23, 2020 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2020/10/23/part-6-a-thriving-economy-and-clean-air-too/
  56. China’s Influence in the World and the Need to Reshore American Manufacturing, Nov. 3, 2020 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2020/11/03/chinas-economic-influence-in-the-world-and-some-thoughts-on-the-need-to-reshore-american-manufacturing/  
  57. Thank You President Trump, Nov. 13, 2020 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2020/11/13/thank-you-president-trump/
  58. Are You Worried about the Future of America? Jan. 21, 2021 Thoughts on Energy Policies, Industrial and Economic Growth: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/01/21/are-you-worried-about-the-future-of-america/
  59. My Paid Energy Awareness Ad, 2015: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/01/28/my-paid-ad-for-energy-awareness-in-2015-here-we-go-again/
  60. U.S. War on Carbon Accomplishes Two Things, Weakens America, Enriches China, Jan. 30, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/01/30/us-war-on-carbon-accomplishes-two-things/
  61. Blue Planet in Green Shackles, What is Endangered, Climate or Freedom”: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-nD
  62. All Fuels are Important, A Review of Competitive Electricity Generation and Supply of Needed Transportation Fuels : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/02/10/all-fuels-are-important-a-review-of-the-reality-of-competitive-electricity-generation-and-the-supply-of-needed-transportation-fuels/  
  63. Texas and Coal Power,  6,000 MW of Coal Power Generation is Missed, Feb. 19, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/02/19/texas-and-coal-power-6000-mws-of-coal-plant-capacity-is-missed/
  64. Executive Orders to Weaken the U.S. Economy, March 3, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/03/03/presidential-executive-order-signed-by-biden-that-will-harm-the-u-s-economy/
  65. Energy and Some People Who Contributed to the Rise of America, March 31, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/03/31/energy-and-notable-people-who-contributed-to-the-rise-of-america/ 
  66.  Earth Day, Let’s Celebrate True Sustainability of Our High Quality of Life, April 22, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/04/22/earth-day-lets-celebrate-true-sustainability-and-a-continuance-of-our-high-quality-of-life/
  67. “The War on Carbon, How it Came to Be” October 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/10/16/the-war-on-carbon-how-it-came-to-be/
  68. Energy and Economic Prosperity, My Thoughts, a presentation to the Delaware County Bar Association, July 2016: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2016/07/25/energy-and-economic-prosperity-my-thoughts-dick-storm/
  69. Primary Energy that American’s are Accustomed to: 830,000 BTUs per Day/Person, Sept. 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/09/16/830000-btus-per-day-person/
  70. The Stupidity of Net-Zero Carbon, Oct. 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/10/13/the-stupidity-of-net-zero-carbon/
  71. America’s Treasure of Fossil Fuels, Update of 2011 presentation to ASME: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/11/26/americas-treasure-of-fossil-fuels/
  72. American Dream = 100 Quadrillion BTUs per Year April 7, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/04/american-dream-100-quadrillion-btus/
  73. Providing a Sustainable Million BTUs per Day/Person, May 17,  2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/05/17/providing-a-sustainable-million-btus-per-day-per-person-by-fuel-source/
  74. A Short History of Power Generation, Part 1, 1850-1955, January 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/01/14/a-short-history-of-energy-electricity-and-how-our-high-quality-of-living-came-to-be-high-human-development-index-part-1-1850-1955/
  75. A Short History of Power Generation, Part 2:  https://wp.me/p5DzAo-k6
  76. A Short History of Power Generation, Part 3: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-ll
  77. A Short History of Power Generation, Part 4: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-n4
  78. Energy=Life as We Enjoy it, Aug. 22, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/08/22/energy-life-that-is-life-as-we-enjoy-it/
  79. “The War on Carbon, How it Came to Be”, Oct. 16, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/10/16/the-war-on-carbon-how-it-came-to-be/
  80. Energy and Economic Prosperity, Jan. 11, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/01/03/energy-and-economic-prosperity/https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/01/03/energy-and-economic-prosperity/
  81. Energy and World Peace, April, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/04/05/energy-world-peace/
  82. Without New Thinking on Nuclear Power, Anti-Carbon Policy Can’t Succeed, Nov. 11, 2021 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/11/13/without-new-thinking-on-nuclear-power-anti-carbon-climate-policy-cant-succeed/
  83. The Rise and Fall and Rise Again  of Nations and the  Realities of Energy: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/08/15/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nations-and-the-realities-of-energy/
  84. America Needs 100 Quadrillion BTUs of Primary Energy Each Year, May 16, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/16/back-to-basics-the-u-s-needs-100-quadrillion-btus-year-of-primary-energy/  
  85. Pillars of Modern Civilization, Ammonia, Food, Steel, Concrete, Plastics, Aluminum, July 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/25/pillars-of-modern-civilization-all-dependent-on-energy/
  86. U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA),  S.C. Energy Profile: https://www.eia.gov/state/print.php?sid=SC
  87. U.S. EIA, Electricity explained: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-in-the-us-generation-capacity-and-sales.php
  88. S.C. Energy Office, Charts and discussion of S.C. energy and electricity generation: https://south-carolina-energy-office-1-1-scors-eo.hub.arcgis.com/pages/electricity-data#clcw7fc2k
  89. EIA Dashboard, this shows the actual generation by fuel and region in real time: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/gridmonitor/dashboard/electric_overview/balancing_authority/SC
  90. Santee-Cooper Integrated Resource Plan for future electricity generation assets. This is the latest 2024 update: https://www.santeecooper.com/About/Integrated-Resource-Plan/Reports-and-Materials/Santee-Cooper-2024-IRP-Update.pdf
  91. China’s Nuclear Power Plants: According to the World Nuclear Safety Council, as of September 2021, China had 52 nuclear reactors in operation and another 18 under construction, representing a total nuclear power generation capacity of approximately 51 GW.
  92. Additionally, China plans to build many more nuclear reactors in the coming years, with the goal of increasing its installed nuclear power capacity to 70 GW by 2025. https://nuclear-energy.net/nuclear-power-plants/list/china
  93. EIA Information on Nuclear Plants in China, updated, May 2024: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61927&trk=public_post_comment-text
  94. U.S. Nuclear Fuel is mostly imported, Jan 25, 2025: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64444
  95. World Electricity Growth projected to be 4%/year by IEA through 2027: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alessandro-blasi-6579a66_entering-the-age-of-electricity-in-a-chart-activity-7297539477021839360-l5te/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAAAI4KQUBYW-cbQRlA1kgj9X3llGi7u6KNnQ
  96. Four more Westinghouse Reactors to be built in China, Westinghouse Nuclear News: https://info.westinghousenuclear.com/news/four-westinghouse-ap1000-reactors-in-china
  97. New Coal Power in China, Report by Global Energy Monitor-CREA, Feb. 2025: https://energyandcleanair.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CREA_GEM_China_Coal-power_H2-2024_FINAL.pdf
  98. Battery Electricity Storage Systems References (BESS)
  99.  Grid Scale BESS (Battery Electricity Storage Systems) Info by NREL (Dept. of Energy): https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy19osti/74426.pdf
  100. Canary Media Report on Moss Landing Vistra Battery Fire, January 2025: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/batteries/moss-landing-the-worlds-biggest-grid-battery-just-caught-fire-again
  101. “Felicity Ace” ship sinking with approx. 4,000 cars due to Lithium battery fire off the coast of Portugal, February 2022: https://maritime-executive.com/article/report-volkswagen-sued-by-mol-for-the-loss-of-felicity-ace-car-carrier
  102. Maritime fire of 500 vehicles disaster of “Freemantle Highway” by G-Captain News July 2023: https://gcaptain.com/k-line-confirms-nearly-500-electric-vehicles-on-burning-car-carrier-in-the-north-sea/
  103. References and Further Reading on EV’s and Hybrid VehiclesThomas Shepstone article “EV’s-Green Transition or Green Delusion” : https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/green-transition-or-green-delusion?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
  104. Georgia Power IRP Update, January 2025 to show the need to keep coal plants running: https://www.georgiapower.com/news-hub/press-releases/georgia-power-files-2025-irp-plan-to-meet-energy-needs.html
  105. POWER ENGINEERING Magazine article on Georgia Power revised IRP, Jan. 2025: https://www.power-eng.com/gas/georgia-power-proposes-uprates-life-extensions-for-generation-assets-in-latest-resource-plan/
  106. Duke Energy Carolinas, News to review the existing IRP, January 2025: https://www.duke-energy.com/our-company/about-us/irp-carolinas
  107. Duke Energy Carolinas, IRP-2023: https://www.duke-energy.com/our-company/about-us/irp-carolinas/prior-plans
  108. Dominion Energy-IRP 2023 (South Carolina) which shows plans to replace coal plants with natural gas capacity before 2030: https://cdn-dominionenergy-prd-001.azureedge.net/-/media/pdfs/global/company/irp/sc/desc-integrated-resource-plan-2024.pdf?rev=42a0728dbf894c979aefc95151401fcb
  109. Study Destroys Basis for EPA – Climate Regulations, Watts Up With That https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/03/20/study-destroys-basis-of-epa-climate-regulations/

Believer in Freedom to use of Energy for sustainable high quality lives