Coal Keeps the Lights On

July 9, 2021

Many environmentalists view coal as a dirty energy source and have been trying to halt the production of coal for years. But coal is exactly what we are relying on to get our economy up and running as Covid restrictions loosen across the globe.

For years, the eco-left has tried to end the coal industry, but the truth is coal keeps the lights on. Kathryn Porter, founder of energy consulting firm Watt-Logic discussed the reliability of coal in The Wall Street Journal.

“It’s difficult to get off coal because of security of supply. At the end of the day you need to keep the lights on,” said Porter. “When governments are faced with the choice of not supplying electricity, or using coal, they will use coal.”

Coal is so reliable that even renewable energy has to depend on its power. Energy sources such as solar and wind need to have the perfect conditions to produce energy and when that does not happen, coal is used to power the plants.

Initially, most grids can accommodate some solar and wind capacity and cope with the fact their output is dependent on the weather and time of day, sometimes using gas and coal power as backup. But as the percentage of electricity generation from renewables increases, the need for solutions to that intermittency grows.

The hypocrisy of the eco-left never ends. They have lobbied to tear down fossil fuels and push our dependence onto renewables, only to find that the unreliable renewable energy sources turn to coal when they need power that they are inept and unable to provide.

As we open back up and our economy recovers, we need to have reliable energy. Fossil fuels provide enough reliable and affordable energy, that even renewable energy sources depend on its power. This is a good reminder to the eco-left and every American that removing coal and other fossil fuels is a costly mistake.