{"id":418769,"date":"2025-12-27T12:22:36","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T11:22:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=418769"},"modified":"2025-12-27T12:22:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T11:22:38","slug":"study-shows-coals-importance-to-electric-affordability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=418769","title":{"rendered":"Study Shows Coal\u2019s Importance to Electric Affordability"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From ClimateRealism<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Chris Dickerson<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Close-up<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Guest post by Chris Dickerson from Legal Newsline, originally posted at The Center Square<\/a>. <\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Editor\u2019s note: This post covers a new report by Energy Ventures Analysis that found electricity costs will rise if certain existing coal plants are retired and replaced with different renewables mixes, and that maintaining existing coal plants is the most cost effective and reliable electricity option for the affected regions. This is not surprising as <\/em>Climate Realism has pointed<\/a> out many <\/a>times<\/a> that coal and other fossil fuels are cheaper and more reliable than so-called renewables.<\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

A new study estimates the costs of replacing coal plants with renewable power sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study by Energy Ventures Analysis analyzed<\/a> the annual cost of replacing coal power plants scheduled to retire with six renewable sources of electricity: solar alone, solar firmed by battery energy storage systems (BESS) or natural gas, wind alone, and wind firmed by BESS or natural gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Affordable electricity has become top of mind for consumers, policymakers, voters and elected officials as electricity prices for the residential, commercial, industrial and transportation sectors averaged 6.7% higher in September compared to September 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reasons for these price increases vary from state to state, according to the study. Some of the most often mentioned reasons are higher demand for electricity caused by data centers and artificial intelligence, overall inflation, volatile fuel costs, weather-related grid repairs, supply chain problems, power plant retirements, shift to cleaner energy sources, expansion of the electric transmission system and flawed electricity market rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the study, almost 42 gigawatts of coal-fired generation (46 plants with 79 generating units) have retired or announced plans to retire during 2025 through 2028.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week, West Virginia Public Service Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Lane said the PSC has no plans to vote in favor of closing any coal-fired power plants in West Virginia. During that meeting with lawmakers, Lane also said nobody has filed to close any such plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

America\u2019s Power President and CEO Michelle Bloodworth said the new study shows why coal plants need to stay open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAmericans are concerned about rising electricity prices, and this new study shows that keeping coal plants open, rather than retiring them, is a good way to avoid unnecessary increases in electricity prices,\u201d she said. \u201cThe study estimates that continuing to operate retiring coal plants rather than building new renewable power sources could save at least $3 billion and as much as $54 billion per year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bloodworth also said the huge cost savings do not quantify the loss of reliability attributes that coal provides and renewables do not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPolicymakers need to understand that an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes coal as an irreplaceable part of our electricity mix is crucial to maintaining affordable electricity prices and the reliability of our grid,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The study by Energy Ventures Analysis\u00a0analyzed\u00a0the annual cost of replacing coal power plants scheduled to retire with six renewable sources of electricity: solar alone, solar firmed by battery energy storage systems (BESS) or natural gas, wind alone, and wind firmed by BESS or natural gas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":418773,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"Discover how keeping coal plants open can save billions and maintain affordable electricity in the face of rising costs. Read more!","jetpack_seo_html_title":"Coal Plants Essential for Affordable Electricity: New Study Insights","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":true,"token":"eyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvY2xpbWF0ZS1zY2llbmNlLnByZXNzXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDI1XC8xMlwvQVFNaGVXU2NtLVNKQzhRU1RBT2hsMjl5a2ljV2JDMVFnRGxOT2V5b2I4RnNxdDJMbGJWT1lMUS1CZ0dxSWNfNmdraVZiWEtvNWtVT3M1aExXdDcxV1BrLTF1SzVfZHdpWHdwWTdtbDRYVGhGMzJJSXhpNmN2eWplVmV5bnZSR0lJcTJ1NV84MTNzSWduSUNGbHRqQ3N2NTlFNkxpUS0xMDI0eDEwMjQuanBlZyIsInR4dCI6IlN0dWR5IFNob3dzIENvYWxcdTIwMTlzIEltcG9ydGFuY2UgdG8gRWxlY3RyaWMgQWZmb3JkYWJpbGl0eSIsInRlbXBsYXRlIjoiaGlnaHdheSIsImZvbnQiOiIiLCJibG9nX2lkIjoxNTU4MTI0NDl9.mpAHyhIweGILtqvarVxEiv4PvtvINNvLyfCmkLDG3LkMQ"},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691819635,691840348,691824503,691840347,691819148,691819094],"class_list":{"0":"post-418769","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-coal","9":"tag-coal-fired-generation","10":"tag-electricity-costs","11":"tag-energy-ventures-analysis","12":"tag-oil-and-gas","13":"tag-renewable-green-energy","15":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQMheWScm-SJC8QSTAOhl29ykicWbC1QgDlNOeyob8Fsqt2LlbVOYLQ-BgGqIc_6gkiVbXKo5kUOs5hLWt71WPk-1uK5_dwiXwpY7ml4XThF32IIxi6cvyjeVeynvRGIIq2u5_813sIgnICFltjCsv59E6LiQ.jpeg?fit=1280%2C1280&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1KWl","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":368803,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=368803","url_meta":{"origin":418769,"position":0},"title":"Yes, Coal and Natural Gas are Much Cheaper Than Wind and Solar","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/05\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Renewable power advocates often claim wind and solar are less expensive energy sources than coal, natural gas, and nuclear power. 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Sounds impressive? Not really!","rel":"","context":"In \"Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)\"","block_context":{"text":"Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=battery-energy-storage-system-bess"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQO5RMvE-phsAqiG83N53WCFmq6SY8PS56gb_JmddpmeGo93w8Xv2a36yO7uQWSPXKWAmr_A7ii1e7Wa-d6HDT8gFaa6ktc2Yvsp21A2Jmo1aYp5RHRbAvtkXBeI9LoBXHmbLCvc78yAG3GuokhEZN_zaQeKbw-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQO5RMvE-phsAqiG83N53WCFmq6SY8PS56gb_JmddpmeGo93w8Xv2a36yO7uQWSPXKWAmr_A7ii1e7Wa-d6HDT8gFaa6ktc2Yvsp21A2Jmo1aYp5RHRbAvtkXBeI9LoBXHmbLCvc78yAG3GuokhEZN_zaQeKbw-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQO5RMvE-phsAqiG83N53WCFmq6SY8PS56gb_JmddpmeGo93w8Xv2a36yO7uQWSPXKWAmr_A7ii1e7Wa-d6HDT8gFaa6ktc2Yvsp21A2Jmo1aYp5RHRbAvtkXBeI9LoBXHmbLCvc78yAG3GuokhEZN_zaQeKbw-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQO5RMvE-phsAqiG83N53WCFmq6SY8PS56gb_JmddpmeGo93w8Xv2a36yO7uQWSPXKWAmr_A7ii1e7Wa-d6HDT8gFaa6ktc2Yvsp21A2Jmo1aYp5RHRbAvtkXBeI9LoBXHmbLCvc78yAG3GuokhEZN_zaQeKbw-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQO5RMvE-phsAqiG83N53WCFmq6SY8PS56gb_JmddpmeGo93w8Xv2a36yO7uQWSPXKWAmr_A7ii1e7Wa-d6HDT8gFaa6ktc2Yvsp21A2Jmo1aYp5RHRbAvtkXBeI9LoBXHmbLCvc78yAG3GuokhEZN_zaQeKbw-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":355328,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=355328","url_meta":{"origin":418769,"position":2},"title":"Nuclear, Renewables Cannot Match Coal. 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