ACCCE Focuses on Reliability and Resiliency in Comments for Upcoming FERC Technical Conference

ACCCE’s President and CEO, Paul Bailey, will speak at a  May 1-2 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) technical conference on wholesale competitive electricity markets.

In testimony to FERC, ACCCE focuses on two points:

  • Coal retirements are becoming a threat to the reliability and resilience of the electricity grid. Resilience is a new focus for grid operators and means maintaining grid reliability during a major disturbance that is unlikely to happen but would have severe consequences if it does happen (e.g., failure of natural gas infrastructure).
  • EPA policies and electricity market rules greatly affect coal retirements. While we expect EPA policies to change for the better, policy changes are necessary but not sufficient to preserve the coal fleet. Regional grid operators need to change their market rules so that coal-fired generation is valued for its reliability and resilience.

Participating in the FERC conference is another opportunity for ACCCE to explain the value of coal-fired generation to FERC and to grid operators in the Eastern Interconnect, following other activities to highlight coal’s role in keeping the electricity grid reliable and resilient.