The DOE says pulling the plug on fossil plants as scheduled could crank up blackout risk 100x by 2030—adding fuel to the Trump administration’s push to keep coal and gas online. (Axios)
The new report warns that 104 GW of retiring baseload capacity (mostly coal and gas) is being replaced by just 22 GW of generation.
Critics call the report alarmist. Groups like Advanced Energy United say it downplays what batteries, demand response, and renewables can do—pointing to states like Texas (where blackout risk is falling thanks to tech like solar and batteries) as proof you don’t need to cling to coal to keep the lights on.