There have been at least 6 coal-fired power plants in the US to have their closure dates pushed back this year. This move by utilities conflicts with a nationwide push to decarbonize the electricity industry. Utilities are mostly blaming the solar supply chain and associated delays in renewable projects nationwide for the delays in coal plant retirements. But I wonder if utilities are finally coming to the realization that it’s impossible to replace base load electrical capacity with intermittent (variable) capacity. It should be obvious by now the push for renewables makes the entire system less reliable and much more expensive. They say it’s just a “bump in the road” for the energy transition, but I wonder if these delays will grow larger and larger as time goes on.
You can read more and watch a video interview of the conversation at Power Engineering Magazine, linked here and below:
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Itís nearly impossible to find educated people in this particular subject, but you seem like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks