From Colorado to Michigan, utility companies are crying foul after planning to shut down aging coal-fired plants only to be mandated by the federal government to keep them open, ostensibly for grid stability purposes.
Federal estimates show natural gas and renewable resources account for the bulk of the energy on the grid. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), part of the Department of Energy, said in a January report that natural gas should satisfy about 39% of total U.S. energy demand, with hydropower, solar and wind accounting for around 25%.
