The Analysis Group’s Sue Tierney, a highly respected authority on electricity markets, testified (and here’s her one page summary) at an April 14 congressional hearing on the president’s plan to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants – the Clean Power Plan.
Responding to concerns about the impacts of the Clean Power Plan on grid reliability, Tierney emphasized that the plan is just one point on a continuum of change for the power grid: “Given the significant shifts already underway in the electric system, the industry would need to adjust its operational and planning practices to accommodate changes even if EPA had not proposed” the Clean Power Plan.
Tierney also spotlighted the Clean Power Plan’s unique flexibility, which gives states many compliance choices.
In contrast, she noted that “many stakeholders’ concerns about the Clean Power Plan presume inflexible implementation, are based on worst-case scenarios, and assume that policy makers, regulators, and market participants will stand on the sidelines until it is too late to act. There is no historical basis for these assumptions.”
Tierney’s right: The Clean Power Plan and a reliable grid are entirely compatible. The Plan will accelerate our country’s evolution to cleaner, more affordable, and reliable power.
If you’re interested in reading more, check out these Analysis Group reports on the Clean Power Plan – including reliability issues and compliance strategies:
- Electric System Reliability and EPA’s Clean Power Plan- The Case of PJM
- Electric System Reliability and EPA’s Clean Power Plan- Tools and Practices
- EPA’s Clean Power Plan- States’ Tools for Reducing Costs and Increasing Benefits to Consumers
- Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions From Existing Power Plants Under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act- Options to Ensure Electric System Reliability
