Does the massive power outage in India have message for Kentucky?

Blackout

In case you missed the news, India just had a world record electrical power outage that impacted 620 million people across half of the country.

The outage impacted 20 of India’s 28 states.

India’s electrical generating capacity is apparently about eight percent smaller than current needs. The problem probably has been accelerated by that country’s rapid economic expansion.

India uses coal to generate about half of its electrical needs, but a “near state monopoly” in the coal mining industry has not kept up with demand. Some electrical generating stations reportedly have less than a week’s supply of coal on hand. Of course, good old government bureaucracy is hampering the construction of more generating stations.

Closer to home, the idea of intense government interference with coal fired electrical generation should trigger thoughts in the minds of Kentuckians. India may be providing some very chilling examples of what can happen if the US Government stays on what seems to be its track to rapidly force the shutdown of coal-fired electrical plants in Kentucky.

Coal production is already being reduced in the Bluegrass State by the federal government’s refusal to approve new mining applications.

In addition, the bureaucracy-ruling-over-coal-for-energy situation here may be forcing at least one large Kentucky coal fired electrical plant, the Big Sandy, off line forever due to excessive costs to transfer to other energy alternatives like natural gas.

So, here are some questions: how many more plant shutdowns can Kentucky stand before its citizens start to face the same sorts of energy shortage consequences that India’s bureaucracy already has helped to create in that country? Can Kentucky’s coal-fired electrical plants be economically transferred to natural gas? Can it be done in time before the EPA destroys the coal industry? Does anyone know?