Lack of coal causes blackouts well overstretch our power grid Furchtgott-Roth 12

[Diana, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, 8/2/12, The U.S. Is On India's Horrid Energy Path, http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2012/08/02/the_us_is_on_indias_horrid_energy_path_99797.html] India's blackout was caused by a host of electrical issues ranging from bad energy policy to an overburdened electrical grid. A shortage of rain for hydroelectric dams this year and a

shortage of coal for factories does not help the over strapped grid and are the most likely causes for the blackout. America is fortunate that blackouts of this scale are not occurring here, usually. But we have had some, notably the blackout in the Northeast and Midwest, as well as Ontario, on August 14, 2003. An overburdened electrical grid could not keep up with electrical demand. While not an everyday or every year occurrence, so far, Americans in some regions have cause to worry. The supply of electricity is growing more slowly than is peak demand. Rising incomes are driving increased use of air conditioning, and new houses are designed for efficient air conditioning rather than with windows that open and screened porches to provide breezes. As for supply, the proliferation of regulations to protect the environment-sometimes with an excess of zeal-is causing utilities to shut down old plants and is erecting barriers to building new ones. Energy Department data show that peak power consumption has climbed from 678,400 megawatts in 2000 to 767,900 megawatts
in 2010. Generating capacity stood at 1,039,000 MW in 2010, compared to 811,700 MW in 2000 (data for 2011 will be released later this year). While overall supply is outpacing demand, there are some areas where the opposite is true. For example, in Texas the power capacity margin (the amount of reserves available in case of an emergency) is projected to be 13 percent in 2012 compared to 26 percent in 2002. This summer

Texas has barely enough electricity to meet demand. Unexpected drops in output and spikes in demand could lead to rolling blackouts. This tension is expected to persist for years, largely due to both the state's population growth and the reluctance of power companies to invest in new plants
because low wholesale electricity prices have been squeezing profit margins. California produces only 70 percent of its power, with the remainder imported from other states. California and Colorado have passed laws requiring that by the year 2020, one-third of their electricity be produced from renewables-solar, wind, or biomass-by 2020. The states do not yet have the technology to do this. The priority.

Indian experience

should be a wake-up call for the United States. It's time, or past-time, to make investment in power generation a