The mid-Atlantic power grid operator has issued a warning, stating that the scheduled shutdown of a coal-fired power plant may have an impact on millions of Americans’ access to electricity and perhaps result in a complete blackout.
The corporation in charge of 65 million Americans’ wholesale electricity in 13 states, PJM Interconnection, stated that they anticipate power outages due to the closure of the coal-fired Brandon Shores power plant.
In an effort to lower carbon dioxide emissions and combat “climate change,” Talen Energy, the plant’s owner, recently reached an agreement with the environmental advocacy organization Sierra Club to deactivate the facility by 2025.
For the locals, that arrangement might be preferable, nevertheless.
A representative for PJM Interconnection, Jeff Shields, stated to Fox News:
“The PJM region and the state of Maryland are facing future reliability challenges as a result of the announced retirement of the Brandon Shores units.”
“Specifically, PJM analyses showed that the deactivation of the Brandon Shores units would cause severe voltage drop and thermal violations across seven PJM zones, which could lead to a widespread reliability risk in Baltimore and the immediate surrounding areas.”
The Washington Examiner reported:
According to PJM, prematurely closing Brandon Shores might upset the local power system and result in a million-person blackout.
Approximately 1,295 megawatts, or more than a million houses, are produced by the plant.
Although there are occasions when grids can transmit power from other locations, the necessary changes won’t be completed until 2028, which is three years after Brandon Shores is supposed to close.
The business has insisted that Brandon Shores continue to operate until those improvements are completed, but it points out that this is prohibited by the Talen agreement with Sierra Club.
Regulators in the area are attempting to account for these issues.
Tori Leonard, a spokesperson for the Maryland Public Service Commission, stated:
“We always keep the reliability of the regional electric system and its impact on Maryland’s electricity consumers in mind.”
According to a Fox News report, PJM has asked for Brandon Shores to continue operating through 2028 under a “Reliability Must-Run Agreement” until transmission upgrades are finished due to the short notice.
Shields pointed out that the progress of such an accord is hindered by Talen Energy’s agreement with Sierra Club.
Furthermore, Talen Energy eventually gave up on its earlier promise to switch Brandon Shores to a different, less polluting fuel source.
It made the decision to close the facility, which might raise serious issues with reliability in the future.
A representative for Talen Energy, Taryne Williams, sent an email to Fox News Digital stating, “Talen is currently in discussions with PJM and others regarding the reliability issue claimed by PJM.”
In a statement, Maryland Public Service Commission spokesman Tori Leonard added, “We are always mindful of regional electric system reliability and how it relates to electricity consumers in Maryland.” She noted that PJM is in charge of operating the regional transmission grid in a reliable manner.
By 2035, Democratic Governor Wes Moore wants all of the energy in the state to come from renewable sources.
“Governor Moore remains committed to a vision for Maryland’s future that includes 100 percent clean energy — a commitment that will bring countless jobs and hundreds of millions in economic investment across the state,” Carter Elliott, a spokesperson for Moore said.
“Earlier this year, the governor was proud to sign the POWER Act and partner with Ørsted to announce Maryland’s First Offshore Wind Turbine Component Center at Tradepoint Atlantic.”
“Ørsted’s projects will support the creation of thousands of jobs in Maryland, power nearly 300,000 homes with renewable energy, and help the state achieve its goals of 8.5 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2031.”
“At every opportunity, the governor has worked aggressively to help Maryland meet its energy goals, and he will continue to lead the state with that goal at the top of mind while maintaining grid reliability and protecting ratepayers.”
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