WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 17, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The decarbonization race is on for electric utilities in the United States and abroad. But are they being driven too far, too fast by climate activists, politicians, and regulators?

Europeans are bracing themselves for what could be a bleak winter with shortages of natural gas and electricity. The Economist, among other news outlets, reports that governments have failed to plan for the integration of renewables into the European grid or to allow for contingencies.

What is the U.S. situation? Are U.S. utilities making the same mistakes that have led to an energy crisis in Europe?

The United States Energy Association (USEA) will hold a virtual press briefing -- another in its series -- on this urgent issue. The format for these hour-long press briefings is a panel of experts deliver remarks and are questioned by a panel of reporters. Other members of the press, USEA members, and the public are welcome to submit questions. A recording will be available on the USEA website following the press briefing.

The press briefing, which will be held on Zoom, is scheduled for Oct. 22 at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. Registration is required (see below).

The experts are:

Arshad Mansoor, President and CEO, Electric Power Research Institute
Suriya Evans-Pritchard Jayanti, International Energy Counsel, U.S. Department of Commerce
Branko Terzic, Managing Director, BRG LLC
Sheila Hollis, Acting Executive Director, USEA

The reporters are:

Ken Silverstein, Forbes
Rod Kuckro, Freelance
Jasmin Melvin, S&P Global

Llewellyn King, who has organized and will host the press briefing, has written widely on the subject of grid stability and says, “Low-carbon grids need longer-duration storage, but until that comes along, natural gas is, at least, a valuable storage medium.”

“Britain has woefully little gas storage,” King says. “The British simply believed the wind would always blow, especially off Scotland. Recently, though, there was a six-week wind drought with disastrous consequences for Britain and the continent."

He adds, “Battery storage is valuable, but at this point batteries draw down in four hours, and energy emergencies go on for days and weeks.”

The worry in many utilities and among analysts is that the United States could be caught similarly unprepared, and the electric grid could be destabilized with blackouts and brownouts this winter or next summer.

“Gas is the transition fuel for the world, and shutting it off prematurely is regressive, assuring that more coal will be burned from Germany to China,” King says, adding, “The challenge is how to move smoothly from gas to renewables and hydrogen, when that is available.”

REGISTER: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OZJ_PAPZQKuh1JO0NlgwTQ

CONTACT: Llewellyn King, llewellynking1@gmail.com

Llewellyn King
llewellynking1@gmail.com
White House Media LLC