Manager's Column
Authored by: Amber Overfelt
Our mission to provide safe, reliable, affordable, and clean power to our member-owners is one I take very seriously. Last year you, our member-owners, had power 99.9% of the time. I know when I flip a light switch, I expect the light to come on. I have the same expectation for my fan to stay on all night when I turn it on before going to bed.
On April 25th the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released their power plant rules. These rules threaten the future of reliable and affordable electricity. The EPA wants to shut down fossil fuel generation to push their goal of becoming a carbon-free power sector by 2035. Currently, Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI) provides the members of Howard Electric with a generation mix of coal, natural gas, wind, and hydro. This allows for us to provide weather dependent wind energy to our members, however when temperatures spike in July and the wind isn’t blowing we have access to our always available coal and natural gas units to ensure your air conditioners stay running.
The EPA rules require existing coal units to shut down by 2032 or have 90% carbon storage and sequestration in place to operate after 2039. Carbon storage and sequestration is an unproven technology. At this time, there is not an affordable or reliable replacement for the 5 coal units AECI and Howard Electric rely on to make sure your lights stay on. EPA’s new rule is unlawful, unrealistic, and unachievable.
We have watched other states shut down coal and natural gas plants without having an alternative and reliable baseload of electricity. As you can imagine, when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing, their electricity isn’t flowing.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NREC), recently forecasted that over the next five years, all or parts of 19 states are at high risk of rolling blackouts during normal conditions. The EPA’s rules only make the situation worse. We live in the United States of America, accepting the idea of rolling blackouts is not okay to me. That saying, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” comes to mind. AECI and HEC are determined to fight for our members to keep always available coal and natural gas units in the generation mix.
On May 9th, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals in the D.C. Circuit challenging the EPA rules that threaten our ability to provide our members with reliable, affordable power. On May 13th NRECA filed a motion to stay/halt the implementation of the rule until the legal challenges have been resolved.
Please join us in this fight. Visit www.4energyreliability.com to enter your information and make sure our elected officials know we want our lights to stay on. Let them know Howard Electric members want safe, reliable, affordable, and clean power.
For more information on the ruling visit www.electric.coop/issues-and-policy/epa-power-plant-rule