Opinion: The lights could go out this winter if we close more coal and nuclear power plants
[via MarketWatch, December 5, 2018]
Shortages of natural gas could push the power grid to the limit
by TERRYÂ JARRETT
It’s been an early start to winter this year across much of the Central and Eastern United States. And plunging temperatures have highlighted a surprising fact: Not only are natural-gas prices soaring, but fuel stockpiles have dipped to unusually low levels.
It’s a somewhat unexpected turn of events — since the United States has been the world’s top producer of natural gas since 2009. But a number of factors are combining to significantly alter the landscape for utilities in the United States that rely on natural-gas-fired power generation.
For starters, last winter was a whopper. A deep freeze hit the United States in January, taxing much of the nation’s power grid to the limit. Not only were natural-gas pipelines spread thin in delivering fuel to power plants, but available gas was prioritized for home heating.
Dr. John D. Johnson has a background in nuclear, experimental & accelerator physics. He worked for Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1990s and founded Docent Institute to raise awareness about the ethical use of advanced technology.