As we begin the summer months, we center our attention on electric reliability. We focus on concerns about the power going out due to severe thunderstorms and even hurricanes.

Pee Dee Electric invests in our electric system through our right-of-way maintenance program, system upgrades to accommodate load growth and maintenance activities on our power lines and replacing old poles and equipment. These efforts are very effective in minimizing the impact of storms that threaten electric reliability.

However, there is one area that threatens electric reliability outside of our control, and that is government regulations. A prime example of this is the recently finalized Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) power plant rule. This new rule jeopardizes Pee Dee Electric’s ability to provide reliable and affordable electricity that our residential and business members need and deserve. The goal of the EPA power plant rule is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The problem is that the rule relies on an emerging technology called carbon capture and sequestration that simply is not ready for widespread commercial use. Additionally, the new rule requires an implementation timeline that is unrealistic.

Electric cooperatives are leading the way to a cleaner energy future in ways that make sense locally while maintaining and improving reliability and keeping electric rates affordable.

If fully implemented, the EPA power plant rule will force electric utilities across the nation to close more electric generating plants that provide power 24 hours, 7 days a week. This could not come at a worse time - our nation’s need for electricity is growing, and the rule will reduce the amount of electric generation we have available. The combination of increasing electric demand and a decreasing supply of electricity is a recipe for disaster. It will result in our electric system becoming less reliable and less affordable.

Electric cooperatives firmly believe the EPA power plant rule is unlawful, unreasonable, and unachievable. We will fight this disastrous action by the EPA so we can continue our long tradition of providing reliable and affordable electricity to our members. Our national organization, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), filed a lawsuit on May 9 challenging the EPA over its unlawful power plant rule on behalf of electric cooperatives across the nation. NRECA will fight against this threat all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if needed. This issue is that critical to the future of our nation.

The goal of the EPA power plant rule is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—something America’s electric cooperatives are already doing by investing in solar and wind power, developing energy storage projects, and promoting energy efficiency. Electric cooperatives are leading the way to a cleaner energy future in ways that make sense locally while maintaining and improving reliability and keeping electric rates affordable—which is something impossible for the new EPA power plant rule to achieve.