By State Sens. Eric Bassler (R-Washington), Jon Ford (R-Terre Haute),
Mark Messmer (R-Jasper) and Jim Tomes (R-Wadesville)
What would life be like if we didn’t have the dependable and reliable electrical grid that powers our computers, phones, lights, and the many other important devices of our modern world?
That was the question U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry sought to answer in a newly released report on the reliability and resilience of our nation’s electric grid. Secretary Perry is rightfully concerned about the way federal and state policies have affected the grid, particularly when it comes to eliminating highly reliable sources of power.
Here in Indiana, we have seen a gradual erosion of the coal-fired electric generating fleet that has served us so reliably. In fact, we have seen 39 coal-fired electric generating units already shut down or announce plans to close. These closures are occurring in large part due to federal regulations over the past eight years aimed at reducing the use of coal. This is a disturbing development, as coal provides more than 70 percent of our state’s electricity, and has kept our electricity prices more than 10 percent below the national average. Unfortunately, the same story is playing out in many other states too. Today, roughly one-third of America’s coal fleet has either closed or announced plans to close.
Coal has been a critical part of ensuring the reliability of our electrical supply. That’s because baseload fuel sources like coal-fueled power plants are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our coal fleet is the backbone of the grid, which is why, as members of the Indiana State Senate, we continue to support the use of coal in our state’s energy mix.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation recently spotlighted the role of resilience. Resilience is the ability of the grid to bounce back quickly after a catastrophic event like the Polar Vortex of 2014. A major advantage of coal-fired power plants is that they have fuel supplies on hand — each plant maintains a stockpile of two to three months’ worth of fuel. This is different from other sources of electricity, like natural gas-fired power plants, which rely on pipelines to deliver fuel on an as-needed basis. This dependable onsite fuel supply at coal-fired plants has proven critical to protecting the grid in recent years because it is one of the few energy sources capable of delivering uninterrupted power to regions impacted by extreme cold.
The resilience and reliability of our power grid is critical to Indiana and the nation. As we discuss policies to determine the future of Indiana’s electricity generation, we should keep in mind the critical role that coal plays in keeping the lights on in our Indiana homes.