Billionaire Bill Gates said during an interview over the weekend that he believes that support for nuclear power is high in both of America&#8217;s major political parties.
Gates made the remarks during a Sunday CBS News interview with Margaret Brennan on &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; when asked about a a new nuclear power plant that is now being built in Wyoming.
He said that he wants the U.S. to build dozens of new nuclear power plants and that it should try to get more than 100 built.
Addressing the possibility of nuclear power plant melting down, Gates said: &#8220;A problem when you shut a rector down it still has heat. That&#8217;s why Chernobyl was a problem and Fukushima. Our design, that goes away because since we use this sodium to cool everything, it can absorb all that heat. And so those accidents were both first in generation, second generation reactors. The third generation reactors dealt with that with a lot of complexity. So, those reactors are quite safe, but the cost overruns meant that the electricity will be very, very expensive. We solved the safety problem with a much simpler approach, but we have to start from scratch.&#8221;
He said that he was &#8220;quite confident&#8221; that there will be support for continuing to expand America&#8217;s arsenal of nuclear power plants regardless of who wins the election this fall.
&#8220;I meet with lots of Republicans. I meet with lots of Democrats,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;d say that the support for nuclear power is very impressive in both parties. The reasons they support nuclear power may not be identical. The Republicans may emphasize the security issues, you know, energy security, exporting these power things to the entire world. The Democrats value those things but they also value that it&#8217;s a clean source of energy.&#8221;
&#8220;You really don&#8217;t want the nuclear reactors around the world made by your adversaries because it&#8217;s economically a huge job creator and because the materials involved in these reactors possibly could be diverted,&#8221; he later added. &#8220;You want your eye on, you know, making sure that it&#8217;s not feeding into some military-related activity. And so the U.S. leadership in this space has a lot of strategic benefits.&#8221;
WATCH:
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Bill Gates

Bill Gates On New Nuclear Plant In Wyoming: ‘Support For Nuclear Power Is Very Impressive In Both Parties’

Nuclear Power

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electricity</a> prices in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/finland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Finland</a> plummeted into negative territory this week after the launch of a new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nuclear-power" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear</a> power plant last month.
The development comes months after officials in the Nordic nation were raising the alarm over widespread energy shortages, a reality induced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Energy producers are now discussing mechanisms to reduce production as power becomes so abundant that prices venture into negative territory.
&#8220;Production is high, consumption is low, and now we are in a situation where it is not easy to adjust production,&#8221; Fingrid CEO Jukka Ruusunen said in an <a href="https://yle.fi/a/74-20033326" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Yle News. “Last winter, the only thing people could talk about was where to get more electricity. Now we are thinking hard about how to limit production. We have gone from one extreme to another.”
Power company TVO launched a new <a href="https://www.tvo.fi/en/index/production/plantunits/ol3.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reactor</a> at the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant last month; nearly one-third of the nation’s power now comes from the facility. The electricity from the plant is sufficient to power 5.2 million apartments or charge 3.6 million electric cars, marking a significant amount of power production for Finland, which has 5.5 million residents.
Average spot electricity prices in Finland declined from $264 in December to $65 in April, according to a <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/energy/2023/05/14/nuclear-power-helps-bring-down-electricity-prices-by-75-in-finland/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the National News. Utility companies are unable to decrease energy output through hydropower, the typical domain in which electricity production can be reduced, because of excess snowmelts.
“Operators in Finland and the surrounding areas are now monitoring the situation. If hydropower can&#8217;t be regulated, then it will probably be nuclear power next. Production that is not profitable at these prices is usually removed from the market,&#8221; Ruusunen continued. &#8220;Now there is enough electricity, and it is almost emission-free. So you can feel good about using electricity.”
Finland and other nations in the European Union abide by the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">goal</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050 in accordance with the European Green Deal and the Paris Climate Agreement. Despite the success of nuclear power in promoting emission-free electricity, many countries are shuttering the facilities over safety concerns: Germany closed the nation’s three remaining nuclear energy plants last month, marking an end to the economic bellwether’s use of the power source even as authorities <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/germany-reverts-to-burning-coal-will-keep-two-nuclear-plants-open-ahead-of-winter-months" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resumed</a> coal production due to energy shortages.
“The risks of nuclear power are ultimately uncontrollable; that’s why the nuclear phaseout makes our country safer, and avoids more nuclear waste,” German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, a member of the Green Party, said earlier this year, according to a <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/germany-shuts-down-its-last-nuclear-power-stations/a-65249019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from German state-funded media outlet Deutsche Welle.
Other nations, such as the Netherlands and Poland, are slated to expand their nuclear systems, while Belgium is delaying a previously enacted phaseout. Some countries, on the other hand, proceeded with shutdowns of nuclear facilities despite catastrophic increases in energy prices last year: Switzerland <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/swiss-nuclear-power-plant-cuts-production-in-middle-of-energy-crisis-to-protect-local-fish" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slowed</a> production at one nuclear power plant to avoid raising nearby river temperatures and thereby protect local fish populations.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has meanwhile <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-social-market-economy-might-redistribute-fossil-fuel-profits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> mechanisms to reduce “overall electricity consumption,” an initiative funded by the redistribution of profits from oil and natural gas companies.

Finland Nuclear Reactor

Finland Went From Energy Shortage To Negative Power Prices. Here’s How They Did It. 

Finland Went From Energy Shortage To Negative Power Prices Thanks To Nuclear Power

Energy

European Union

Finland

World

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Germany</a> will shutter the nation’s three remaining <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nuclear-power" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear</a> energy plants on Saturday, marking an end to the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">economic</a> bellwether’s utilization of the power source despite threats to <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> security posed by the Russian invasion of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a>.
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel approved the gradual closure of the nation’s nuclear plants following the 2011 nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan. The closure of Emsland, Neckarwestheim II, and Isar II, the remaining three nuclear plants in the country, was slated to occur last year but was delayed until this month over concerns about energy security, since Germany imported more than half of its natural gas reserves from Russia ahead of the war.
&#8220;The risks of nuclear power are ultimately uncontrollable; that&#8217;s why the nuclear phaseout makes our country safer, and avoids more nuclear waste,” German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, a member of the Green Party, said at the end of last month, according to a <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/germany-shuts-down-its-last-nuclear-power-stations/a-65249019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from German state-funded media outlet Deutsche Welle.
The popularity of nuclear energy in Germany rose amid the soaring energy prices in the early 1970s. The Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in 1986 provoked widespread hesitance toward the power source and inaugurated decades of politically charged debate over nuclear energy policy, according to an <a href="https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-g-n/germany.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the World Nuclear Association. Nuclear energy once accounted for one-third of electricity supplies in Germany.
The Netherlands and Poland will meanwhile expand their nuclear systems while Belgium is delaying a previously enacted phaseout. Some nations, on the other hand, proceeded with shutdowns of nuclear facilities despite catastrophic increases in energy prices induced by the conflict in Ukraine. Switzerland, for example, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/swiss-nuclear-power-plant-cuts-production-in-middle-of-energy-crisis-to-protect-local-fish" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slowed</a> production at one nuclear power plant to avoid raising nearby river temperatures and thereby protect local fish populations.
The elevated energy prices severely <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-companies-pause-production-as-energy-prices-soar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impacted</a> the continent’s economy in the fall and winter as a number of manufacturers in central Europe shuttered their operations due to the cost increases. Several nations meanwhile <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/switzerland-may-jail-people-who-turn-heat-above-66-degrees-this-winter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed</a> mandates for power usage, prohibiting residents from raising their thermostats or lowering their air conditioners beyond certain levels.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-social-market-economy-might-redistribute-fossil-fuel-profits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last year that she would introduce standards for European Union member states to reduce “overall electricity consumption” funded by redistributing profits from oil and gas companies.
“We are proposing a cap on the revenues of companies that produce electricity at a low cost. These companies are making revenues they never accounted for, they never even dreamt of,” von der Leyen said. “In our social market economy, profits are good. But in these times it is wrong to receive extraordinary record profits benefitting from war and on the back of consumers. In these times, profits must be shared and channeled to those who need it the most.”
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The European Union, in accordance with the European Green Deal and the Paris Climate Agreement, abides by the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">goal</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050. Though von der Leyen has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-intends-to-flatten-the-curve-for-electricity-use" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a> that low hydropower generation caused by droughts is partially responsible for high energy prices in Europe, she said that “the climate crisis” is the ultimate impetus for the weather conditions and called for the elimination of all fossil fuel dependence.
Policymakers in the United States have similarly asserted that rising energy prices must increase the urgency of a transition toward renewable power. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/energy-secretary-lays-out-the-only-way-to-avoid-high-gas-prices-and-its-not-producing-more-oil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contended</a> last year that the “only way out” of “boom-and-bust cycles” in energy prices is “deploying clean energy.”

Nuclear phase-out in Germany – Emsland nuclear power plant

Germany Shuts Down Remaining Nuclear Power Plants Despite Threats To Energy Security

Germany Shuts Down Remaining Nuclear Power Plants

Europe

Germany

Ukraine-Russia War

Green energy has been a very hot topic for the last several years. Windmills and solar power have dominated the discussion. New York&#8217;s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has championed her Green New Deal. President Joe Biden’s inappropriately named Inflation Reduction Act served to only inject money into Mrs. Ocasio-Cortez’s green plans.
The truth that most supporters of “green energy” neglect is that you cannot have a serious conversation about green energy without discussing nuclear power.  
In 2021, 61% of “electricity generation came from burning coal, natural gas, or petroleum. Only 20% of the electricity in the U.S. came from renewables, mostly wind energy, hydropower, and solar energy … another 19% came from nuclear power,” per <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/29/why-isnt-the-us-electrical-grid-run-on-100percent-renewable-energy-yet.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC.</a>
Since nuclear power produces its energy via nuclear fission “rather than chemical burning, it generates baseload electricity with no output of carbon, the villainous element of global warming. Switching from coal to <a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/why-nuclear-power-must-be-part-of-the-energy-solution-environmentalists-climate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear power</a> is radically decarbonizing, since nuclear power plants release greenhouse gasses only from the ancillary use of fossil fuels during their construction, mining, fuel processing, maintenance, and decommissioning – about as much as solar power,” according to author and historian Richard Rhodes. In fact, a 2019 report from the International Energy Agency says “over the past 50 years, the use of <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/nuclear-power-in-a-clean-energy-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear power</a> has reduced CO2 emissions by over 60 gigatons – nearly two years’ worth of global energy-related emissions,”
In addition, nuclear power is extremely inexpensive. The <a href="https://encoreuranium.com/benefits-of-nuclear/benefits-of-nuclear-energy-for-the-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cost</a> of nuclear power was $35/MWh in 2018. This is “less than half the cost of coal- and gas-fired power plants.”  
Many people will argue that nuclear is dangerous and a threat to the world. Nothing could be further from the truth. To quote <a href="https://www.frontier-cf252.com/blog/nuclear-energy-advantages/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Gates</a>, not a Right-wing advocate, “nuclear energy, in terms of an overall safety record, is better than other energy.” In nuclear power’s history as an energy source, “there have only been three major incidents worldwide.” Three incidents against the “backdrop of 60 years of nuclear <a href="https://www.frontier-cf252.com/blog/nuclear-energy-advantages/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">production</a>, totaling more than 17,000 cumulative reactor years … in 33 nations.”
<div id="attachment_515670" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-515670" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-515670" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GettyImages-538536811-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/03/GettyImages-538536811-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/03/GettyImages-538536811-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/03/GettyImages-538536811-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/03/GettyImages-538536811-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/03/GettyImages-538536811-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/03/GettyImages-538536811-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/03/GettyImages-538536811-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Getty Images.</div>
Going 100% green is not practical. As <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2021-energy-land-use-economy/">Bloomberg</a> reports, in order to achieve President Biden’s goal of an emission-free grid by 2035, &#8220;the U.S. needs to increase its carbon-free capacity by at least 150%. Expanding wind and solar by 10% annually until 2030 would require a chunk of land equal to the state of South Dakota. By 2050, when Biden wants the entire economy to be carbon free, the U.S. would need up to four additional South Dakotas to develop enough clean power to run all the electric vehicles, factories and more.&#8221; Nuclear energy would require a much smaller footprint.  
In addition, there is enough energy in nuclear waste in the United States to “<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/02/nuclear-waste-us-could-power-the-us-for-100-years.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">power</a> the entire country for 100 years. The technology necessary to turn nuclear waste into energy is known as a nuclear fast reactor, and has existed for decades. For political and economic reasons, the technology has never been developed at commercial scale.” Imagine a source of energy where the waste can be recycled to create even more energy. Is there anything more green than that?
Is nuclear power the only answer? Certainly not. A balanced energy policy will include every available source: coal, natural gas, nuclear, wind, solar, and hydroelectric. If Mrs. Ocasio-Cortez and congress are serious about renewable and green energy, nuclear power must be a part of the plan.
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Jim Nelles is a Navy veteran and supply chain consultant based in Chicago. His articles have appeared in the Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Foxnews.com, and The Daily Wire. He has served as a chief procurement officer, chief supply chain officer, and chief operations officer for multiple companies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Tihange Nuclear Power Station

Why We Can’t Go Green Without Nuclear Energy

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Green New Deal

Joe Biden

Nuclear

Readers Pass

The Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">administration</a> announced Monday it will put $1.1 billion towards keeping a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nuclear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear</a> power plant up and running in California. 
The administration is providing Pacific Gas &amp; Electric Co. (PG&amp;E) with a $1.1 billion grant to assist the company in keeping the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant open, which is the last remaining nuclear plant in California. The money comes from the infrastructure measure that was passed by Congress last year. 
“This is a critical step toward ensuring that our domestic nuclear fleet will continue providing reliable and affordable power to Americans as the nation’s largest source of clean electricity,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/21/biden-grants-pge-1-billion-to-keep-diablo-canyon-nuclear-plant-open.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
While the plant was originally set to be shut down over the course of 2024 and 2025, state legislators <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-slams-critics-of-california-energy-says-they-wished-blackouts-had-happened" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> in September to keep it up and running for five additional years. Democratic Governor of California Gavin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsom</a> has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-open-to-keeping-major-nuclear-plant-operating-in-california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moved</a> in favor of not shutting down the nuclear power plant and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-proposes-plan-to-keep-nuclear-plant-open-legislature-has-weeks-to-decide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> an extension of the plant this year. 
California has struggled under its quick transition to renewable energy as the state faced rolling energy blackouts in August of 2020. Earlier this year, another heat wave plagued the state and residents were told to reduce their energy use at certain times of the day in order to keep the electric grid functioning.
Earlier this year, the state <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/05/07/1097376890/for-a-brief-moment-calif-fully-powered-itself-with-renewable-energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reached</a> 100% renewable energy, but energy sources such as wind and solar are not as reliable as fossil fuels and have put the state in a precarious situation during multiple days of high temperatures. In 2021, nuclear power <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=53899#:~:text=Nuclear%20power%20provided%20about%2010%25%20of%20California's%20total%20electricity%20supply%20in%202021&amp;text=In%202021%2C%20three%20nuclear%20power,about%2010%25%20of%20California's%20electricity." target="_blank" rel="noopener">made</a> up around 10% of the state&#8217;s electricity. Diablo Canyon provided more than 8%, with the remainder coming from Washington and Arizona.
In April, the administration <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/04/19/biden-administration-launches-6-billion-nuclear-plant-bailout/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> a program that will give financially struggling nuclear power plants in the United States $6 billion. The initiative was funded by the massive infrastructure legislation. 
U.S. Department of Energy authorities <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-11-21/biden-gives-pge-1-billion-to-keep-diablo-canyon-nuclear-plant-open" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the funds for Diablo will be given out over the course of four years. The final details of the grant are still going to be worked out with the company, as well. 
PG&amp;E has been the source of controversy in the past. Last month, the company <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-fires-california-utilities-3a29b1577c7b4e767483ed015758234c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faced</a> a potential $155 million fine for its connection to the Zogg fire in 2020 that resulted in the destruction of 200 residences and four deaths. It was also charged with criminal counts in the fire and pleaded not guilty to four charges of involuntary manslaughter over the summer.
State fire authorities have said the fire started when a tree fell onto one of the company’s distribution lines. The California Public Utilities Commission proposed the fine because it said the company did not get rid of two trees that had been designated to be removed, and one of them ended up falling down. 
At the time, PG&amp;E <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-fires-california-utilities-3a29b1577c7b4e767483ed015758234c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement that it had come to a conclusive result with the civil claims of Shasta County. It had the <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/regulators-propose-155m-fine-pge-2020-wildfire-92091846" target="_blank" rel="noopener">option</a> to either pay the fine and take steps to correct its practices or ask for a hearing after the regulator advances the proposed order.

2C15B629-6D1F-4A22-AF9D-CBEDBFCE0359_1_201_a

Biden Administration Gives Over $1 Billion To Keep California’s Last Nuclear Plant Open

Biden Administration Gives Over $1 Billion To Keep California's Last Nuclear Plant Diablo Canyon Power Plant Open

California

Gavin Newsom

Jennifer Granholm

U.S.

As residents of Great Britain suffer from soaring natural gas and electricity costs, new Prime Minister Liz Truss <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boris-johnson-out-as-british-prime-minister-successor-vows-to-solve-energy-crisis">sounded</a> the call for producing more energy through opening the North Sea for oil drilling and building more nuclear power plants.
Unlike American president Joe Biden, who was <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/north-dakota-sues-biden-administration-over-blocking-oil-gas-leases/">sued</a> by North Dakota in a <a href="https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/north-dakota-suit/4ad49480f2ff70dd/full.pdf">lawsuit</a>  for halting oil and gas leases on public lands, who, in one of his first acts as president, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/keystone-pipeline-dead-killed-by-biden-thousands-of-jobs-lost">revoked</a> a permit from the Keystone XL Pipeline project to cross over from Canada into the United States, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-suspends-oil-leases-in-alaskas-arctic-refuge-as-gas-prices-continue-to-rise">suspended</a> oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s 1002 area in June 2021, Truss embraced her nation’s need for domestic energy production.
“I understand that people across our country are struggling with the cost of living and they’re struggling with their energy bills,&#8221; Truss told the House of Commons. &#8220;And that is why I, as Prime Minister, will take immediate action to help people with the cost of their energy bills.”
“And I will be making an announcement to this House on that tomorrow and giving people certainty to make sure that they are able to get through this winter and be able to have the energy supplies and be able to afford it,” she continued, before she offered her solution to solving the problem for the future.
&#8220;But we can&#8217;t just deal with today&#8217;s problem,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We can&#8217;t just put a sticking plaster on it. What we need to do is increase our energy supplies long-term and that is why we will open up more supply in the North Sea, which the honorable gentleman has opposed; that is why we will build more nuclear power stations, which the Labor party didn’t do when they were in office, and that is why we will get on with delivering the supply as well as helping people through the winter.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Newly appointed UK Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/trussliz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trussliz</a>: &quot;We can&#39;t just deal with today&#39;s problem. We can&#39;t just put a sticking plaster on it. What we need to do is increase our energy supplies long term and that is why we will open up more supply in the North Sea.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/8Jkhdn4zGv">https://t.co/8Jkhdn4zGv</a> <a href="https://t.co/uf8QTKJqpO">pic.twitter.com/uf8QTKJqpO</a>
&mdash; The Hill (@thehill) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1567531499641049088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Natural gas prices in much of Europe have increased <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-the-dark-ages-tucker-carlson-details-europes-self-induced-energy-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than tenfold</a> in recent weeks compared to normal levels, prompting various nations to encourage lower usage among households and businesses. Truss is reportedly weighing an energy relief package worth £40 billion, the equivalent of $46.1 billion, according to documents <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-06/truss-plans-40-billion-energy-aid-package-for-uk-businesses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seen</a> by Bloomberg. While the policy would be geared toward businesses, a second proposal would fix electricity and gas bills for a typical household at or below the current level of £1,971, equivalent to $2,283, according to another <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-06/truss-s-uk-energy-bailout-may-boost-interest-rates-hammond-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Bloomberg.
Ben Zeisloft contributed to this article.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss Hosts First Cabinet Meeting

She Ain’t Biden: New British PM Calls For North Sea Drilling, Nuclear Power Plants To Boost Domestic Energy

New British PM Calls For North Sea Drilling, Nuclear Power Plants To Boost Domestic Energy

Great Britain

Liz Truss

Oil and Gas

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Germany</a> is slated to burn coal and keep two <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nuclear-power" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear</a> plants open amid soaring <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> prices, according to a Monday <a href="https://www.bmwk.de/Redaktion/DE/Pressemitteilungen/2022/09/20220905-stresstest-zum-stromsystem.html">statement</a> from economy minister Robert Habeck.
The <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European</a> nation imported roughly 55% of its gas from <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> before the invasion of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a> and has since reduced its dependence to 35%. Although Germany had originally <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/germany-poised-to-shut-down-last-nuclear-plants-despite-gas-shortage-ahead-of-winter-months">planned to shutter</a> its three remaining nuclear plants, the nation’s federal government announced that it will keep nuclear facilities Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim open as reserve sources of power.
“The drought in the summer has reduced water levels in rivers and lakes, which weakens hydropower in neighboring countries and also makes it difficult to transport coal to the power plants that we have to use due to the tense gas situation,” Habeck said. “The major crises — war and climate crises — have a very concrete impact. So we have a number of uncertainty factors, and the summer has made this even worse with the drought.”
Indeed, Habeck noted that hydroelectric capacity in nearby France is severely limited due to drought conditions. “Because of all these risks, we cannot rely on the fact that in the event of grid bottlenecks in our neighboring countries, there will be enough power plants available to stabilize our power grid in the short term,&#8221; he added.
The return of coal-fired power and the pause on the scheduled shutdown of German nuclear plants — which former Chancellor Angela Merkel greenlit following the 2011 nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan — also occurs after Russian state energy company Gazprom <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort">cut off</a> natural gas shipments through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline over the weekend. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the nation may resume gas shipments if Western sanctions are eased.
“Problems with gas supply arose because of the sanctions imposed on our country by Western states, including Germany and Britain,” Peskov said. “We see incessant attempts to shift responsibility and blame onto us. We categorically reject this and insist that the collective West — in this case, the European Union, Canada, and the United Kingdom — is to blame for the fact that the situation has reached the point where it is now.”
Last week, finance ministers of the G7 nations — which include Germany, France, Canada, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/g7-finance-ministers-commit-to-russian-oil-price-cap-will-help-ukraine-for-as-long-as-it-takes">reaffirmed</a> a plan to impose price caps on Russian oil. The joint policy is meant to “significantly reduce Russia’s main source of funding for its illegal war,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0936">statement</a>.
Other European powers are scrambling to address energy shortages as natural gas prices increase <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-the-dark-ages-tucker-carlson-details-europes-self-induced-energy-crisis">more than tenfold</a> compared to normal levels. French President Emmanuel Macron asked citizens to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort">reduce energy consumption</a> by 10% to avoid mandatory consumption limits, while incoming British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who succeeded fellow Conservative Party lawmaker Boris Johnson on Tuesday, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boris-johnson-out-as-british-prime-minister-successor-vows-to-solve-energy-crisis">floating stimulus packages</a> for companies and businesses.
“We will get spades in the ground to make sure people are not facing unaffordable energy bills… I will deal hands-on with the energy crisis caused by Putin’s war,” Truss remarked in her first speech as head of government. “I will take action this week to deal with energy bills and to secure our future energy supply.”

CHINA-ECONOMY-COAL

Germany Reverts To Burning Coal, Will Keep Two Nuclear Plants Open Ahead Of Winter Months

Germany Will Burn Coal, Keep Nuclear Plants Open As Natural Gas Prices Soar

Economy

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dianne-feinstein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dianne Feinstein</a> (D-CA) urged <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> officials to keep the state’s last <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nuclear-power" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear power</a> facility open amid continuous turmoil with the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">electric</a> grid.
According to the lawmaker, Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant is responsible for 8% of overall energy and 17% of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carbon-free</a> energy in the Golden State. In 2016, however, the California legislature approved a plan to decommission the facility.
“California has some of the most ambitious clean energy mandates in the world,” Feinstein wrote in a <a href="https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=B8F19D96-1055-4C11-BE52-E1ACFC68DF3C">letter</a> to Democrat State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Democrat State Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins. “However, despite massive investments and commitment, development of non-emitting renewable energy resources like wind, solar, and geothermal are not projected to be installed in time to meet California’s energy demand without power from Diablo Canyon.”
Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-CA) and State Sen. Bill Dodd (D-CA) have <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB846">submitted legislation</a> to allow Diablo Canyon to continue operating beyond its current shutdown date of 2025. Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) also <a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-legislature-gavin-newsom-climate-and-environment-4968ee9da7fd1d10ad67bfdf03950873">supports</a> an extension of the plant’s lifespan.
Feinstein referred to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ca-dependent-on-solar-power-has-rolling-blackouts-in-heat-wave-hint-the-sun-sets-at-night">extreme heat</a> in August 2020 that led to rolling blackouts as power demand soared. “The consequences would have been even more severe without the electricity from Diablo Canyon,” she noted. “State regulators have projected similar shortfalls and outages during periods of peak demand in the coming years, and retiring a major electricity generation source without adequate preparation will only leave the grid more vulnerable.”
The western United States is currently facing a likely “prolonged and record heat wave” that could lead to temperatures as high as 115 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the <a href="https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/hpcdiscussions.php?disc=pmdspd">National Weather Service</a>. As a result, the California Independent System Operator is seeking to bring all available resources online to handle higher power demand and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-asks-residents-to-avoid-charging-electric-vehicles-due-to-blackout-risk-days-after-unveiling-new-gas-car-ban">expects</a> to issue “voluntary energy conservation” notices over the upcoming Labor Day weekend.
The operator also requested that residents avoid charging their electric vehicles due to additional strain on the grid during certain times. Yet the warnings of low power capacity come days after the California Air Resources Board <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-expected-to-ban-sale-of-new-gas-cars">issued new rules</a> requiring 35% of new vehicles to produce zero emissions by 2026 — a standard that will rise to a 68% benchmark by 2030 and a 100% level by 2035.
Beyond the state of California, other officials across the globe are urging a rapid transition toward renewable energy despite crippling energy shortages. Though natural gas prices in Germany have soared to an order of magnitude higher than usual — leading some Germans to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-the-dark-ages-tucker-carlson-details-europes-self-induced-energy-crisis">store firewood</a> to heat their homes through the winter — policymakers are slated to continue with a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/germany-poised-to-shut-down-last-nuclear-plants-despite-gas-shortage-ahead-of-winter-months">planned closure</a> of the nation’s last three nuclear plants.
German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck recently dismissed concerns of gas shortages by assuring the public that “we have a really good chance of getting through the winter” if households and businesses cut energy usage by 15% to 20%, according to state-funded news outlet <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/germany-says-full-delay-to-nuclear-phaseout-is-unlikely/a-62880769">Deutsche Welle</a>. He argued that Germany must pivot entirely away from fossil fuels to avoid future disorder wrought by geopolitical turmoil such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
However, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/civilization-will-crumble-elon-musk-issues-dire-warning-about-rapid-shift-to-green-energy">cautioned</a> on Monday that the global economy is at risk by rushing renewable energy adoption. “Realistically I think we need to use oil and gas in the short term, because otherwise civilization will crumble,” the executive told reporters at a summit in Norway. “One of the biggest challenges the world has ever faced is the transition to sustainable energy and to a sustainable economy. That will take some decades to complete.”

Nuclear Power Plant

California Plan To Shut Down Last Nuclear Plant Would Carry ‘Severe’ Consequences, Democrat Senator Warns

Dianne Feinstein Urges California To Not Shut Down State's Last Nuclear Plant As Grid Crumbles

Climate Change

Dianne Feinstein

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Germany</a> will likely proceed with shutting down its three remaining <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nuclear-power" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear power</a> plants despite an uncertain supply of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gas</a> ahead of the winter season, economy minister Robert Habeck said on Sunday.
Germany imported roughly 55% of its gas from <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> before the invasion of Ukraine and has since <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62121702">reduced</a> its dependence to 35%. Yet German gas supplies are <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-16/germany-has-enough-gas-for-less-than-3-months-on-russia-cutoff">slated</a> to only last three months if Russia decides to cut off supplies completely.
Habeck said that reversing the planned shutdown of the nation’s three nuclear plants would constitute the &#8220;wrong decision” given “how little we would save,” as the three facilities would only account for 2% of gas use, according to German state-funded news outlet <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/germany-says-full-delay-to-nuclear-phaseout-is-unlikely/a-62880769">Deutsche Welle</a>. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel greenlit the gradual closure of the nation’s nuclear plants following the 2011 nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan.
Habeck dismissed concerns of gas shortages by assuring the public that “we have a really good chance of getting through the winter” if households and businesses cut energy usage by 15% to 20%. Nevertheless, Habeck is open to keeping one plant open in the manufacturing region of Bavaria depending on the results of a stress test on the German power system. He asserted that Germany must pivot entirely away from fossil fuels to avoid future turmoil wrought by geopolitical conflicts.
Germany recently unveiled a winter gas surcharge of 2.4 euro cents per kilowatt hour, according to <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/germany-sets-winter-gas-levy-amid-warnings-of-its-impact/a-62806667">Deutsche Welle</a>, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowing that the nation’s government is “working on a further relief package” and “will leave nobody alone with these increased costs.&#8221;
Meanwhile, German finance minister Christian Lindner <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/german-minister-rules-out-keeping-nuclear-plants-running-save-gas-2022-08-21/">argued</a> that keeping the nuclear plants open would be a better option than relying on coal plants. The nation should “reserve all possibilities,&#8221; according to Lindner, who noted that he would support an extension of the nuclear phaseout by &#8220;several years&#8221; under current conditions.
Other European nations have recently proceeded with shutdowns of nuclear facilities despite rising energy prices. Switzerland, for example, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/swiss-nuclear-power-plant-cuts-production-in-middle-of-energy-crisis-to-protect-local-fish">slowed</a> production at Beznau nuclear power plant to protect local fish populations. In the United States, however, the Inflation Reduction Act created nuclear production tax credits, amended existing renewable energy credits to incorporate nuclear power, and funded the production of fuels such as enriched uranium, according to an analysis from the <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/energysource/the-inflation-reduction-act-reinforces-nuclear-energys-role-as-a-climate-solution/">Atlantic Council</a>.
Russia is likewise the world’s third-largest oil producer and the overall largest exporter of oil to global markets, according to the <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/russian-supplies-to-global-energy-markets/oil-market-and-russian-supply-2">International Energy Agency</a>. Although oil continues to be exported from Baltic and Black Sea ports, trading houses are purchasing and storing the oil in Europe, where it could eventually be resold in avoidance of international sanctions, a March report from the <a href="https://www.dallasfed.org/research/economics/2022/0322">Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas</a> explained.
“The surge in global fuel, electricity, residential natural gas and food prices, as well as the supply-chain disruptions caused directly by the invasion of Ukraine and indirectly by the sanctions against Russia, will sustain inflationary pressures in 2022,” the analysts said. “If the bulk of Russian energy exports is off the market for the remainder of 2022, a global economic downturn seems unavoidable.”

Natural gas

Germany Poised To Shut Down Last Nuclear Plants Despite Gas Shortage Ahead Of Winter Months

Germany Likely To Shut Down Nuclear Plants Despite Gas Shortages

Russia

Ukraine

Bombing has resumed near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a> amid the ongoing <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russian</a> invasion, prompting concerns of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nuclear-power" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear</a> disaster.
In early March, Russian forces <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/10-times-larger-than-chernobyl-fire-breaks-out-at-ukrainian-nuclear-plant">attacked and captured</a> Zaporizhzhia, causing a fire to break out after a projectile reportedly hit a training center. Ukrainian officials said that Russian shells again hit the site last week, putting one reactor offline and elevating the threat of radiation leaks. Russian officials, however, have in turn claimed that Ukrainian artillery strikes were responsible for the damage.
Regardless of which party is responsible, the International Atomic Energy Agency likewise warned that hostilities at the plant must cease.
“Based on the most recent information provided by Ukraine, IAEA experts have preliminarily assessed that there is no immediate threat to nuclear safety as a result of the shelling or other recent military actions. However, this could change at any moment,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/hostilities-at-zaporizhzya-npp-must-stop-and-iaea-needs-to-be-allowed-to-assess-status-of-the-facility-grossi-tells-un-security-council">told</a> the United Nations Security Council on Thursday. “I ask that both sides of this armed conflict cooperate with the IAEA and allow for a mission to the Zaporizhzya Nuclear Power Plant as soon as possible. Time is of the essence.”
Petro Kotin — the head of Ukrainian national energy company Energoatom — called for Russian forces to withdraw from the facility and grant control to a team of peacekeepers. &#8220;What we need is for Russia to just release Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and make some type of no-military zone around it,&#8221; Kotin said, per <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-ukraine-war-nuclear-disaster-fears-zaporizhzhia-plant-rcna41959">NBC News</a>.
In the wake of the March attack, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-responds-to-russian-attack-on-ukrainian-nuclear-plant">spoke</a> with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and urged Russia to “cease its military activities in the area and allow firefighters and emergency responders to access the site.” The United States government then <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-activates-nuclear-incident-response-team-as-russia-attacks-ukrainian-nuclear-plant">activated</a> its Nuclear Incident Response Team, though Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm confirmed that “the plant’s reactors are protected by robust containment structures.”
The Biden administration also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-sending-5-5-billion-more-in-aid-to-ukraine">committed</a> on Monday to sending $5.5 billion in additional foreign and military assistance to Ukraine. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of Defense (DOD) have respectively sent a total of $8.5 billion and $9.8 billion to the war-torn country.
The Ukraine conflict has produced a worldwide spike in energy costs. While prices at the pump dropped to $3.98 in the United States as of Friday, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">AAA</a>, figures from the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&amp;s=EMM_EPMR_PTE_NUS_DPG&amp;f=W">Energy Information Administration</a> show that prices were $3.53 in the days before the invasion and more than <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gas-prices-hit-grim-national-average-of-5-per-gallon">$5.00 per gallon</a> in early June. Nevertheless, gasoline was $2.39 per gallon in late January 2021 — meaning that current prices are 67% higher than at the beginning of Biden’s term, with 70% of the total increase occurring before the invasion.

Cooling towers of Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Station in Enerhodar, Ukraine

Bombing Resumes Near Ukrainian Nuclear Plant That Caught Fire Earlier This Year

Renewed Bombing Threatens To Cause Meltdown At Ukrainian Nuclear Plant

Beznau <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nuclear-power">nuclear power</a> plant in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/switzerland">Switzerland</a> is slowing production in the middle of an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/energy">energy</a> crisis to protect local <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/animals">fish</a> populations.
The facility relies upon the Aare river to control temperatures rather than a cooling tower, leading to increases in water temperature between 0.7 and 1 degrees Celsius, according to the <a href="https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-nuclear-power-plant-reduces-output-to-protect-fish-during-heatwave/47761010?utm_campaign=teaser-in-querylist&amp;amp;utm_medium=display&amp;amp;utm_content=o&amp;amp;utm_source=swissinfoch">Swiss Broadcasting Corporation</a>. In the interest of preserving freshwater fish populations, production at Beznau is decreasing such that water temperatures do not rise above 25 degrees Celsius — the equivalent of roughly 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
Beznau produces 6,000-gigawatt hours of electricity per year — twice the consumption of the city of Zurich — and has avoided 300 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions since its founding, according to <a href="https://www.axpo.com/ch/en/private/experience-axpo/nuclear-power-plant-beznau.html">Axpo</a>, the company which runs the facility.
An Axpo spokesperson told <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/19/nuclear-power-plant-lowers-output-to-protect-fish-.html">CNBC</a> that there were “regulations regarding water protection, which restrict the operation of the Beznau nuclear power plant at high water temperatures in the Aare.”
According to the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, Switzerland produces 30% of its electricity from its three nuclear plants. However, in reaction to the 2011 nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan, the nation decided to phase out nuclear power by 2034 — a deadline that was recently nixed in light of uncertainty about future energy supply.
The Axpo spokesperson explained that the output of Beznau is toggled during the course of the day to manage river temperatures. “This is a routine procedure that becomes necessary from time to time during the hot days of summer,” the spokesperson said. “Due to the heat, we assume that further power reductions will be necessary over the next few days.”
Like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/europes-gas-prices-are-even-higher-than-americas">other European countries</a>, Switzerland is experiencing decreased Russian fuel supply as the nation invades neighboring Ukraine. As a result, the cost of gasoline is presently <a href="https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Switzerland/gasoline_prices/">$8.47</a> per gallon in Switzerland, while the national average gas price in the United States is $4.50 per gallon as of Tuesday, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">AAA</a>.
The slowdown of energy production at Beznau occurs as the Biden administration’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recommends <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-suggests-breaching-dams-to-save-endangered-salmon-even-though-it-would-worsen-energy-and-supply-chain-issues">breaching dams</a> in the Pacific Northwest to ensure the survival of endangered salmon.
A <a href="https://media.fisheries.noaa.gov/2022-07/icrb-salmon-steelhead-recovery-summary-draft-v2.5.pdf">draft report</a> from the agency released last week suggested that four Snake River dams should be breached to cut salmon travel time and reduce stress on juvenile fish and encounters with powerhouses. The “earthen portion of each dam would be removed, and a naturalized river channel would be established around the concrete spillway and powerhouse structures,” according to the report.
The dams, however, provide 3,033 megawatts of capacity to the Pacific Northwest, according to a 2016 <a href="https://nwriverpartners.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BPA-Snake-Dams-Fact-Sheet-2016.pdf">fact sheet</a> from the Bonneville Power Administration. The entity <a href="https://www.bpa.gov/-/media/Aep/power/hydropower-data-studies/e3-bpa-lower-snake-river-dams-power-replacement-study.pdf">added</a> this month that replacing the dams would cost $415 million to $860 million per year until 2045, amounting to a total cost of up to $19.6 billion and increasing electricity costs for households by up to 18% over the same horizon. The replacement is made more expensive over time “due to increasingly stringent clean energy standards and electrification-driven load growth.”
The region <a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-government-and-politics-business-environment-and-nature-6a66be20ed86ad18ed131156c9f7a517">faced</a> rolling blackouts — intentionally induced to preserve capacity in the long run — amid an historic heatwave, leading to roughly one dozen deaths. A North American Electric Reliability Corporation reliability assessment warned earlier this year that much of the United States is at a “high risk” or “elevated risk” for rolling blackouts this summer.

Nuclear power plant Beznau (KKB), Switzerland

Swiss Nuclear Power Plant Cuts Production In Middle Of Energy Crisis To Protect Local Fish

Swiss Nuclear Power Plant Cuts Production To Save Fish In Middle Of Energy Crisis

Fish

Switzerland

The U.S. electric grid continues to be a major point of concern. A recent study warns that two-thirds of the U.S. is at risk for electricity blackouts this summer.
“Overall, the biggest thing is that is the loss of nuclear and coal plants that those provide the U.S. with what&#8217;s so called as baseload power, which means that when the sun isn&#8217;t shining or there&#8217;s a drought, we still have a supply of power in the U.S., this could have sensibly be replaced by natural gas,” Breanne Deppisch, Energy and Environment Reporter of the Washington Examiner, told The Daily Wire. “We just don&#8217;t have enough of that in the U.S. right now.”
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) put out its most recent reliability assessment for this summer. It turns out more states are at risk of rolling blackouts than was previously thought. The NERC report <a href="https://www.nerc.com/news/Headlines%20DL/May%2018%202022%20SRA%20Announcement.pdf">found</a> that the midwest and south, is at a “high risk” for blackouts this summer and areas of the west, including Texas, are at an “elevated risk”.
A rolling blackout is a blackout done intentionally so that the grid isn’t harmed in the long run. This happens when there’s not enough power being created to meet the high demand. Rolling blackouts have happened in California for a few years now. In Texas, there was the historic freeze in 2021 where lots of people were without power.
In Texas, ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, handles the state’s entire power grid, which includes electricity generators. It’s an independent nonprofit regulated by the Public Utility Commission, whose board members were appointed by Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX). The generators sell power to electric providers who sell it to the customer.
ERCOT recently <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/business/2022/05/17/ercot-claims-texas-power-grid-prepared-summer-heat-weather-high-temperatures/9805797002/">said</a> that the grid is stable and that it should be able to supply enough energy “under normal system conditions” and most times of high demand during the summer and some extreme weather conditions, but at the same time, they did ask people to conserve power and told some of their energy generators to hold off on maintenance which would require plants to go offline.
“This is part of ERCOT and the PUC being more proactive, more communicative with Texans, to make sure that everybody knows the situation on the grid and what they can do to help ensure reliability,&#8221; PUC Chairman Peter Lake <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/business/2022/05/17/ercot-claims-texas-power-grid-prepared-summer-heat-weather-high-temperatures/9805797002/">said</a> during a press conference
&#8220;We got through last summer, we got through last winter, and we’re going to get through this summer — we are better prepared than we have ever been before,&#8221; Lake said. &#8220;That&#8217;s how we can say with absolute confidence to Texans the lights will stay on this summer.&#8221;
Above average temperatures are <a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/50408195/blackouts-possible-this-summer-due-to-heat-and-extreme-weather-officials-warn">expected</a> for much of the U.S. this summer which puts stress on the grid, plus a 22-year drought in the west will cause hydro generators to release lower than average energy production; wildfire season is expected in the late summer months and will also contribute more to power issues.
A lot of the problems have to do with environmental policies and priorities that don’t always line up with the reality of the situation.
Some are calling for funding from the huge infrastructure package to go towards fixing the grid, because energy isn’t just an issue in the summer. This isn’t a problem that’s going away anytime soon.

34E0A663-7CD2-462A-B0D0-DF6DC6615590_1_201_a

Rolling Summer Blackouts Expected Across United States

Summer Blackouts Expected Across United States Due To Unreliability Of Electric Grid And High Temperatures

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