The Western Journal: Coal is Rescuing Americans During the Polar Vortex

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In the name of environmentalism, many on the left have proposed switching the nation’s energy from reliable fossil fuels to new green energy sources that rely on the good fortune of clear skies and proper wind velocity to power America.

As if that weren’t enough cause to hesitate to indulge in such wishful thinking, another vulnerability has become painfully apparent as a third of the contiguous U.S. was plunged into subzero temperatures Monday due to a polar vortex weather pattern, according to CNN.

Not only have freezing temperatures created an excessive draw on the power grid as residents struggle to keep warm, but generating electricity has also become a major issue for areas that rely on sources such as solar and wind power.

In Texas, freezing temperatures and winter precipitation have caused some of the state’s wind turbines to seize up, costing 12,000 megawatts in power on an already taxed state grid, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

In addition, The Dallas Morning News reported that 2 million Texans did not have power Monday due to the stress on the state’s power supply and the necessary implementation of rolling blackouts.

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In fact, coal accounted for half of the 78,000 megawatts required for the grid in the 15 states that Midcontinent Independent System Operator oversees, Terry Jarrett pointed out in an opinion piece for Montgomery Media.

Natural gas produced an additional 22,000 megawatts, while wind and solar combined only generated around 3,500 megawatts or 4 percent of the required power as of a data snapshot Wednesday.

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Still, the lofty aims of politicians like President Joe Biden in his so-called Plan for a Clean Energy Revolution seek to punish coal companies while moving over to those less reliable forms of energy.

In addition, Biden made it a priority to kill the Keystone XL pipeline project in one of his first executive orders, killing thousands of American jobs and jeopardizing America’s energy independence, all while his climate czar John Kerry smugly suggested those workers could switch to building solar panels.

Cleaner air and a less polluted environment are what those on the left are trying to sell with green energy, but the reality is rolling blackouts, stressed power grids and pollution created by disposing of equipment like wind turbines.

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