Consumer, business groups join Affordable Energy Coalition in opposition to DOE grid proposal

The Affordable Energy Coalition (AEC) recently announced that several consumer and business groups joined the alliance to oppose the Department of Energy’s (DOE) proposal to compensate power plants that keep 90 days’ worth of fuel onsite.

The DOE filed a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) this fall, requesting that the commission develop and implement rules to compensate these facilities, predominantly coal and nuclear plants, with the stated goal of increasing reliability and resiliency.

“The DOE grid proposal would raise costs for millions of American families and make it harder for American businesses to compete,” Michael Steel, a spokesperson for AEC, said. “Our new members will be invaluable partners in our mission to educate consumers across the country and leaders in Washington on the consequences of the DOE grid proposal.”

The Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), BP, the Electricity Consumers Resource Council (ELCON), Energy Storage Association (ESA), Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), and R Street Institute joined the coalition.

AEC has called on FERC to reject the proposal. According to AEC, the proposal would not improve resiliency and reliability and would raise prices for consumers by up to $10 billion.

DOE directed FERC to either take final action or to issue the proposed rule as an interim final rule by Dec. 11.