WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Mining Association (NMA) issued the following statement from Rich Nolan, NMA President and CEO, following release of the North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s (NERC) summer reliability assessment.
“This latest assessment reaffirms the critical need to preserve existing, dispatchable generation and bolster the nation’s grid reliability. The nation’s power supply in far too many states has been pushed to the limit at the very moment we’re facing unprecedented demand growth. Years of warnings from NERC and the nation’s grid operators have underscored the need for a pivot to energy and regulatory policy that reinforces reliability rather than undermines it. We applaud the Trump administration’s declaration of an energy emergency and recognition of the importance of the coal fleet in meeting this moment.”
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest Short-Term Energy Outlook includes an upward revision for forecasted coal production. The revised forecast reflects increased coal use of 18% in January and February of this year compared to the same months in 2024. The underutilized coal fleet – given the opportunity to compete – is a critically important solution to meet rising power demand, shield consumers from electricity-driven inflation and underpin grid reliability.
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