The United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has reiterated its previous stance and still sees no security risk from the closure of domestic nuclear and coal-fired power plants, arguing that there is no evidence that planned retirements of coal-powered plants will pose a threat to the domestic electric grid's reliability. In addition, the regulator believes that subsidising or supporting them would distort prices in the domestic power markets.
In January 2018, the FERC terminated a proposal from the US Department of Energy (DoE) aimed at subsidising coal-fired and nuclear plants in some parts of the United States. The DoE, unlike the FERC, estimates that the premature closure of coal-fired power plants puts the domestic power grid at risk and is looking for ways to extend the operating life of money-losing nuclear and coal-fired power plants facing competition from cheaper renewable energy or gas-fired facilities.
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