Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Energy released a report evaluating U.S. grid reliability and security- warning that blackouts could increase by 100 times in 2023 if the U.S. continues to shutter reliable power sources and fails to add additional firm capacity. The report (Report on Evaluating U.S. Grid Reliability and Security) fulfills part of President Trump’s Strengthening The Reliability And Security Of The United States Electric Grid Executive Order.
The analysis reveals that existing generation retirements and delays in adding new firm capacity will lead to a surge in power outages and a growing mismatch between electricity demand and supply, particularly from artificial intelligence (AI)-driven data center growth, threatening America’s energy security. “This report affirms what we already know: The United States cannot afford to continue down the unstable and dangerous path of energy subtraction previous leaders pursued, forcing the closure of baseload power sources like coal and natural gas,” Secretary Wright said.
Highlights of the report show that the status quo is unsustainable, grid growth must match the pace of AI innovation, retirements increase the risk of power outages by 100 times in 2030 with projected load growth, reliability is at risk as planned supply falls short, and old tools won’t solve new problems. The report also identifies regions most vulnerable to outages under various weather and retirement scenarios and offers capacity targets needed to restore acceptable reliability.
Read more from the DOE: Department of Energy Releases Report on Evaluating U.S. Grid Reliability and Security | Department of Energy