Close Coal and Burn Oil, Even Jet Fuel

THIS IS THE REALITY:

“In the week ending January 25, 2026, as Winter Storm Fern affected significant portions of the country, coal-fired electricity generation increased 31% from the previous week. .. while generation from solar, wind, and hydropower declined. Grid operators can call upon the coal fleet to increase electricity generation in extreme weather events and other times when demand surges or output falls from other generation sources, a pattern also evident in severe cold snaps in February 2021 and January 2025.” USDOE, January 28, 2026.

It has become increasingly apparent that closing coal plants in the Northeast has not only led to the highest electricity prices in the nation but has also damaged reliability throughout the region. During instances of extreme weather, hot spells or cold waves, utilities struggle to meet the load, the price for electricity explodes and last resort measures need to be put in place. Nothing was more apparent than the cold event impacting the eastern United States during late January 2026. Because coal was gone, and other fuels markedly underperformed, utilities turned to burning oil and even to jet fuel. Consider NY at the peak of the recent cold wave when between NY and New England, analysts estimated they were burning at least 300,000 barrels per day. CONTINUE READING ...