Grand Canyon Times

Industry experts are warning that Arizona and many parts of the U.S. could face increased electricity blackouts due to sweltering temperatures this summer. Many blame Biden's policies and a research fellow for energy and environmental issues at The Heritage Foundation says Biden's version of “energy independence” during an energy crisis is headed in the wrong direction.

Arizona utility companies say they have just enough power to meet the expected electricity demand this summer. However, in the event of an emergency, such as a large power plant going offline or a wildfire taking out a key transmission line, there's essentially nowhere they can turn for backup power. In a rapidly growing state, demand for electricity is growing while supply is not. An increase in the number of days with extreme heat, mixed with supply-chain disruptions and shut-down power plants all threaten to cause blackouts in the Southwest this summer and in coming years, Advanced Energy Economy reports.

According to the Washington Post, the nation’s power grid is under stress like never before due to retiring fossil fuel plants and extreme weather. Regulators warn that the kind of rolling outages currently common in California and Texas are likely to be far more widespread across the country with the arrival of hot summer weather.

National Review reported that during a press briefing at the U.S. Energy Association in May, Biden noted that part of his efforts included the phasing out of fossil fuel units before new batteries are available. Previously, the White House also announced President Biden’s long-term strategy to decarbonize the U.S. economy by 2050.

John Bear, CEO of Midcontinent Independent System Operator — which services the Midwest corridor from Minnesota to the Texas Panhandle — is one expert who affirms that a summer of widespread blackouts is on the rise, with the Midwest being at the highest risk, as reported by National Review. Bear cited the Biden Administration’s effort to transition America’s six energy grids to a decarbonized system as part of the problem.

The blackout warnings come amid skyrocketing energy prices across the country. According to National Review, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the independent body that oversees the U.S. electricity grid, estimates that power prices in the Midwest region could soar by as much as 233% at the peak of summer — an increase boosted by high gas prices and high demand as temperatures rise.

Republican commissioners on the FERC, joined by some industry groups, have been arguing for a slower transition to renewable energy to ensure energy shortfalls are avoided. During FERC’s monthly meeting in May, Mark Christie, one of the commission's Republican members and a Trump appointee said, “We’re headed for a reliability crisis. We’re just not ready yet," according to National Review. Meanwhile, Democrats on the commission have sought to paint power transmission issues as the reason for periodic blackouts, and not the energy transition.

Katie Tubb, a research fellow for energy and environmental issues at The Heritage Foundation, says that by appropriating terms such as “independence,” “clean,” and “innovation,” the Biden Administration is pushing for "advancing costly policies that ultimately will eliminate conventional fuels by regulatory fiat." Tubb adds that this "self-imposed energy scarcity" is exactly what Biden promised on his campaign trail back in 2019.

"When Biden speaks of energy independence, he means forcing a rapid transition to renewable energy technologies and aggressively phasing out conventional fuels," Katie Tubb wrote in April.

During a campaign event in Newcastle, New Hampshire in September 2021, Joe Biden told a questioner, "Look into my eyes. I guarantee you we’re going to end fossil fuels.”