McLennan joins co-op leaders backing federal push to bolster grid reliability

Mac McLennan, president and CEO of Minnkota Power Cooperative, joined other cooperative leaders at the U.S. Department of the Interior on Sept. 29 as the Trump administration unveiled new measures to bolster coal-based power generation in the face of rising electricity demand.

“We appreciate the Administration’s commitment to addressing the future of coal and ensuring the reliability of our nation’s electric grid,” McLennan said. “We are honored to have been included in this important discussion and to have the opportunity to contribute our insights. Coal remains a cornerstone of grid reliability, especially during a period of rising electricity demand driven by emerging technologies, artificial intelligence and the accelerating electrification of our economy. Reliable, affordable power is essential to sustaining this progress, and coal continues to play a critical role in meeting those needs.”

The Interior Department announced it will open 13.1 million acres of federal land for coal leasing – an effort to keep reliable, dispatchable power online as demand grows. At the same time, the Department of Energy pledged $625 million to support coal-based generation. More than half of that funding will be directed toward recommissioning or modernizing existing units, while the remainder will go to advanced wastewater treatment systems and technology to enable coal plants to co-fire with other fuels.

The Environmental Protection Agency said it will seek public input on ways to streamline its regional haze rule, while also extending compliance deadlines for its power plant wastewater rule. Earlier this year, the EPA began rolling back or revising the Biden administration’s greenhouse gas and mercury emissions standards for power plants, which many in the industry warned would increase costs and could force the early retirement of needed generating units.

The policy shift comes amid growing concern over grid reliability. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation projects peak power demand will climb 17% over the next decade even as more than 115,000 megawatts of always-available generation is slated to retire.

“As electricity demand skyrockets, smart energy policies that help keep the lights on are more important than ever,” said Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). “These announcements give electric co-ops important flexibility to reliably meet growing energy needs at a cost local families and businesses can afford.”