Right now, the world is more dangerous than it’s been in decades. The wars in Israel and Ukraine, the rising threat of China, and the enduring danger of Iran threaten global stability and the security of Americans at home and abroad.
To ensure America remains resilient in the face of present and future threats, we must maintain a strong, independent, and reliable power grid to continue powering our nation regardless of dangers across the world. However, America has been rapidly phasing out one of our most reliable energy resources - coal - amidst rising global threats, weakening our power grid at the worst possible time.
When conflicts arise, the global trade of energy resources can fall or even stop altogether, putting nations at risk of economy-killing power outages and price hikes. Case in point: after the European Union sanctioned Russia over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia halted the sale of oil to European nations that have long depended on it. Germany, for example, saw its supply of reliable energy crash while energy costs skyrocketed, placing the country in a precarious economic and national security position.
A truly independent energy grid mitigates the rippling effects of global crises like the Russian invasion, and coal plays a significant role in achieving and maintaining energy independence. Coal is a significantly stable and reliable source of energy, and America has the largest coal reserves of any single nation on earth. By maintaining a strong supply of coal-powered energy in conjunction with other resources, we can ensure that our lights stay on in the midst of unexpected turmoil.
Unfortunately, policies from agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state governments put our national security at risk. According to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, America is on track to close half of its coal-powered energy capacity by 2026 from its peak use in 2011 in favor of newer, less-developed technologies like wind and solar. The closure of coal plants and the development of renewables has been aggressively asymmetric, as the pace of renewable energy development lags far behind the pace at which coal plants are shutting down. This is creating a widening gap that could put our power grid at risk as demand for electricity continues to grow.
At the same time, our competitors and adversaries across the globe are ramping up their coal production. China - America’s primary competitor and a rising threat to global peace and order - has increased its production of coal energy to the point where coal now comprises half of the country’s energy consumption. In fact, even our allies are waking up to the benefits of coal energy; Germany, for example, increased its production of coal to break its dependence on Russian oil after the invasion of Ukraine. The rest of the world is rediscovering the importance of coal to national security - so why is America moving in the opposite direction?
Instead of swapping out reliable coal energy for untested, unready renewable energy alternatives, America should pursue an all-of-the-above energy mix. Coal can continue to serve as a firm backbone of our energy grid, while new sources come online to make our energy supply even more abundant, reliable, and secure.
We live in dangerous times, but no matter what challenges we may face, an energy grid sustained by abundant coal energy remains key to keeping our nation safe and our economy strong.