This order follows the release of a draft memo from DOE indicating how the agency is considering activation of seldom-used national security provisions to force some grid operators to buy power from uneconomic coal and nuclear power plants. The new order covers both nuclear and coal plants, but here I focus on coal. With coal gone, many of these towns do not have the economies to support the people who live in them. While coal mining jobs are on the decline, there are other jobs with similar salaries that are expected to increase dramatically. If you truly value reliability and resilience in a competitive energy market, create new markets for those services and let anyone bid to supply them.

Source: Forbes June 04, 2018 17:03 UTC