by Eric Lendrum
A new study by a state government has determined that the many new regulations of the Biden Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could lead to power blackouts that will impact millions of American citizens.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, the study, conducted in May, was carried out by the firm Always On Energy Research, on behalf of the state government of North Dakota. The report concluded that the EPA’s most recently-implemented regulations are not technologically feasible and will only lead to the forced retirement of coal power generation units. Coal and other more reliable forms of energy will be replaced by unreliable energy sources, such as wind and solar, which are heavily dependent upon seasons and the weather.
“The Finalized Rule will increase costs, which, compounded with inflation, will negatively impact the affordability of electric and gas services, resulting in a disproportionate effect on low-income citizens,” the study declares. “Given the high rural populations in North Dakota, pricing low-income citizens out of a reliable energy source creates an economic and social justice issue with devastating impacts on North Dakotans’ lives.”
These concerns have been voiced by other watchdog groups, regional grid operators, and power utility companies. A similar warning was issued recently by four regional grid operators responsible for the power infrastructure for over 154 million Americans, declaring that the EPA’s rules and regulations would reduce the grid’s reliability to “concerning levels.”
“Biden’s Green Agenda is shutting down baseload power and is rapidly destabilizing our electrical grid. Electricity costs are up 30% under Biden already,” said North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (R-N.D.) in a statement. “Prices will continue to skyrocket if he’s re-elected as real power demand increases dramatically for the first time in decades, for chip manufacturing and new foundational industries like AI.”
Burgum, a former presidential candidate in 2024 and considered to be a top contender for former President Donald Trump’s running mate in the November election, also noted that the increasingly burdensome regulations will only lead to “higher prices AND less reliability.”
Among many others, the EPA’s new finalized regulations demand that coal plants in the United States cut their carbon footprint by 90% by the year 2032, which would ultimately force most plants to simply shut down within the next eight years. Emissions reductions are also demanded of natural gas-fueled power plants that operate for more than 20% of the time.
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Eric Lendrum reports for American Greatness.
