Trump, Perry propose a lifeline for coal and nuclear sectors that critics say is unnecessary and would be harmful

Scott Tong Jun 5, 2018
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Trump, Perry propose a lifeline for coal and nuclear sectors that critics say is unnecessary and would be harmful

Scott Tong Jun 5, 2018
HTML EMBED:
COPY

The White House has made several efforts to prop up failing coal and nuclear power plants. The newest is a presidential directive telling the Energy Department to provide a complex lifeline. That came out Friday, but power grid operators and other key actors in the nation’s electricity system are saying they were blindsided by the news. In the dark, as it were. But one thing seems clear: if this goes through, it would upend the market-based, supply and demand system we have now in the electricity system.

Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.