Coal plants step up when renewables falter during record-breaking electricity demand

By Rich Nolan - Wednesday, August 13, 2025

OPINION:

In the last week of July, power demand in the lower 48 states set two all-time records. Across much of the country, this has been a summer of alarmingly thin margins for our power supply.

On the PJM grid — the nation’s largest, with 67 million customers — operators issued nine emergency alerts through the end of July. Last summer, it was just one. Operators have faced the same challenges on the Midcontinent Independent System Operator grid next door. They have been forced to issue multiple maximum generation alerts, calling on every megawatt of generating capacity to meet demand while needing gigawatts of electricity imports to keep the lights on and air conditioning running.

As this summer has demonstrated, and as recent electricity capacity market results have underscored, the nation urgently needs more dispatchable generating capacity and must keep every megawatt of existing capacity available and operating.

Coal plants step up when renewables falter during record-breaking electricity demand - Washington Times