
Mark Christie, a leading power grid official and commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), is warning that President Biden’s new power plant regulations could severely undermine energy reliability. In a letter to GOP lawmakers, Christie described the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s power plant rules as a potential disaster for the U.S. energy grid, stating that they could result in “catastrophic” consequences if implemented.
The EPA’s regulations, finalized in April, mandate that existing coal plants and certain new natural gas plants achieve a 90% reduction in carbon emissions by 2032. Christie emphasized that this could force the retirement of almost all remaining coal plants while preventing the construction of essential new gas plants. He added that once these plants retire, they cannot be easily brought back online, leaving the grid vulnerable to power shortages.
Christie further criticized the EPA’s reliance on carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, stating that it is neither technically nor commercially feasible at the scale required. He warned that the unrealistic mandates could lead to widespread grid instability, especially as the administration pushes for more electric vehicles and increased demand from data centers.
These concerns echo earlier warnings from power grid experts who believe the rapid retirement of reliable fossil fuel plants in favor of intermittent renewable sources could lead to blackouts. Christie has consistently raised alarms about the risk of power shortages, warning Congress last year that the country could face dire consequences if fossil fuel capacity is retired too quickly.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has also highlighted the growing risk of power shortages across large parts of the country. The EPA has yet to respond to these concerns.