February 1, 2024 |
Photo – Coal Power Plant smoke stacks – Courtesy Google images
Residents in rural Wyoming are in danger when winter weather puts a strain on the nation’s electrical grid, says the Consumer Energy Alliance.
January’s cold snap caused many people in the United States to lose power. The Consumer Energy Alliance says the power outages are a symptom of an unreliable electrical grid.
David Holt is the president of the Consumer Energy Alliance. Holt said his organization works with companies across the country to push affordable, reliable, and environmentally responsible energy policies.
Holt said the Consumer Energy Alliance is concerned about the Biden administration’s hostility towards non-renewable methods of electricity production, especially natural gas. Holt said America has made great strides to reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere. He said the country cannot afford to dismiss any type of energy generation if we want to maintain a reliable power grid.
The Biden administration is focused on building renewable sources of electricity generation, such as the wind turbines we see here in Carbon County. Holt said renewable energy needs to work together with more traditional power plants to prevent disruptions to electrical distribution.
One way for Wyoming to remain energy independent is to use coal fired power plants. Holt said coal has a place in today’s push for low-carbon energy production. The Consumer Energy Alliance president said climate change activists need to see how short-sighted calls for the abolition of fossil fuel usage is hurting the American people.
Coal has been a critical part of Carbon County since the Union Pacific Railroad opened the first mines in 1868. While coal is no longer a major economic driver for our area, Holt said it can still play an essential role in ensuring Wyoming can reliably and responsibly supply electricity to residents.
Holt said technological advances have made it possible to use coal for energy production and keep CO2 emissions down. The Consumer Energy Alliance president said the increased adoption of carbon capture devices will lower atmospheric emissions across all industries.
Holt said if climate change activists get their way, the entire country could be on the verge of an electrical system failure. He said if the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining, people may not have power to run their heaters in the winter. To avoid this bleak scenario, Holt said people need to use their vote to protect our nation’s ability to produce energy.
According to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, a non-profit organization tasked with ensuring the reliability of the North American electrical grid, our overreliance on renewable energy puts around 180 million people in danger of losing power during extreme weather events.
Holt warns that the current push to ban fossil fuels will harm consumers by producing higher energy prices and a less reliable electrical supply.
