YOU DON’T SAY: Power grid watchdog warns that over-reliance on wind and solar will make winter blackouts likely.

“The overall resource adequacy outlook for the North American BPS is worsening: In the 2025 LTRA [long-term reliability assessment], NERC finds that 13 of 23 assessment areas face resource adequacy challenges over the next 10 years,” the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) report states.

During January’s Winter Storm Fern, many parts of the U.S. grid neared the point where demand exceeded supply. If the grid continues to shut down fossil-fuel generation and tries to meet demand with intermittent wind and solar, according to NERC, more Americans will face blackouts when demand is high.

As electricity demand grows, including data centers, the nation’s grid is relying on intermittent wind and solar resources to meet that growing demand, NERC explains, while plants running on reliable coal and natural gas are slated for retirement over the next five years. “The continuing shift in the resource mix toward weather-dependent resources and less fuel diversity increases risks of supply shortfalls during winter months,” NERC warns.

There’s no reason for a country this rich to suffer electricity shortages, unless the authorities want people to suffer.