The Coal-Killing Combo Of Hydropower & Battery Energy Storage Systems, Brought To You By US President Donald Trump
This story raises questions about governance, accountability, and American values.
CleanTechnica frames the Energy Department’s report as an ironic “coal-killing combo,” as if the only honest energy policy is one that picks winners in advance and then mocks the results. That framing misses why the administration leaned on hydropower and storage in the first place: keeping the lights on is not a lifestyle preference. Conservatives can back hydropower and batteries without treating coal communities as punchlines.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
When US President Donald Trump declared an “energy emergency” on January 20 of last year, he tapped the nation’s hydropower industry for preferential treatment alongside coal and other fossil fuels. And so, it is no surprise to see the US Department of Energy issuing a new report that outlines the ... [continued]The post The Coal-Killing Combo Of Hydropower & Battery Energy Storage Systems, Brought To You By US President Donald Trump appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Original source:
Read at Clean TechnicaHow We See It
New Republican Times Editorial Board
CleanTechnica frames the Energy Department’s report as an ironic “coal-killing combo,” as if the only honest energy policy is one that picks winners in advance and then mocks the results. That framing misses why the administration leaned on hydropower and storage in the first place: keeping the lights on is not a lifestyle preference.
Conservatives can back hydropower and batteries without treating coal communities as punchlines. The real test is grid reliability, not whether a technology fits a preferred narrative. If hydropower and storage can firm up supply, that supports energy independence and reduces exposure to foreign fuel shocks.
But the transition has to respect fairness to workers and public trust. An “energy emergency” should mean transparent metrics, permitting reform, and accountable timelines, not bureaucratic whiplash. The principle at stake is simple: a stable, secure energy system comes before ideological scorekeeping.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.