ARLINGTON, Va. – National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson today issued the following statement on the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s winter 2024-25 reliability assessment.
“Demand for electricity is skyrocketing across America and supply is not keeping pace. And flawed public policies that focus on shutting down always available power generation are compounding this problem,” Matheson said. “This growing threat to reliable electricity jeopardizes the health of local communities and undermines the American economy. This report clearly highlights the need to swiftly implement a pro-energy policy agenda with a focus on affordability and reliability for American families and businesses. Smart energy policies that keep the lights on are more important than ever.”
NERC is the nation’s grid watchdog. Its assessment finds that more than half the country is at risk of energy shortfalls under extreme winter conditions. It also warns, “Winter electric load is growing in most areas as the grid increasingly powers heating, transportation systems, and new data centers. Serving winter load is becoming more challenging and complex as coal-fired and older natural gas-fired generators retire and are replaced by variable and energy-limited resources.”
A previous NERC report listed energy policy as a threat to reliability. Another NERC report from last December emphasized that over the next five years, all or parts of 19 states are at high risk of rolling blackouts during normal peak demand for electricity as demand outpaces supply.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national trade association representing nearly 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape. As local businesses built by the consumers they serve, electric cooperatives have meaningful ties to rural America and invest $15 billion annually in their communities.
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