Volts Trump's latest attempt to save coal
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Aug 13, 2025 Join Frank Rambo, founder of the Horizon Climate Initiative and a former senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, as he dives into the controversial practice of 'uneconomic dispatch.' He discusses how utilities can get away with running costly coal plants despite cheaper alternatives. The conversation also highlights the Trump administration's misleading 'reliability' claims to bolster coal. Rambo emphasizes the importance of tackling these issues at the state level for a cleaner environment and lower consumer costs.
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Uneconomic Dispatch Is Costly And Common
- Uneconomic dispatch means utilities run coal even when cheaper options exist, raising costs and emissions.
- That practice alone costs ratepayers billions and blocks renewables from being built.
Coal Punches Above Its Weight On Emissions
- Coal still produces about 20% of U.S. CO2 while only ~15% of electricity generation.
- Coal is disproportionately harmful for both long- and short-term climate and local air pollution.
Merit Order vs. Reality
- Grid operators should dispatch the next-cheapest resource (merit order), which should mostly exclude coal today.
- Yet coal often runs out of sequence due to non-market incentives and habits.