Balanced Generation

Our philosophy on energy generation sources

Our lives depend on reliable, affordable energy. The demand for electric power is growing every day, and this trend will only escalate with the emergence of new technologies like electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.

Around-the-clock reliability is imperative. So is affordability. Unfortunately, restrictive environmental regulations and policies are threatening to cut off the most vital energy generating sources available for supporting a stable economy: natural gas and coal.

Although demand is rising, generation capacity is not. Currently, there are not enough new generation facilities being built and added to the grid to meet the rapidly increasing demand.

But what about renewables?

Renewable energy is a good thing, but current renewable energy sources cannot meet the growing demand for electric power. The technology is simply not there yet. PowerSouth cautions against a rapid shift from proven, cost-effective resources to intermittent sources like solar.

Why the caution? For one thing, renewable energy is limited by weather fluctuations. Solar, for example, produces no energy when the sun does not shine, but most in our area demand the highest amount of energy on cloudy, cold winter mornings before solar energy production is available.

Peak time performance with solar

During the times when the most energy is needed, like early morning, solar contributes little or nothing to the supply of electricity.

Additionally, energy from intermittent renewables cannot be stored for long periods and the price tag associated with installing battery storage technologies, in their current state, would unfairly burden end-use members.

This is why “replacing” the reliable generation of natural gas, coal and nuclear with renewable energy is not a 1:1 proposition. It would take many large-scale renewable generating facilities and significant energy storage capacity to replace a traditional generator. Also, some traditional facilities are “peakers,” designed to provide large amounts of capacity power in a short amount of time. This capability does not exist with renewable energy.

Solar covered less than one percent of Powersouth’s January 17, 2024 peak, meaning natural gas was primarily responsible for keeping the lights on for members like you.

Based on January 17, 2024 peak load.

You can monitor Wing Solar’s output in real time at the link below.

It’s all about balance

Until renewable and storage technologies can affordably keep pace with demand, PowerSouth will continue to use fossil fuels as its primary source of energy. PowerSouth has added some
solar energy and will continue to responsibly add solar to support its energy needs, but only under the right conditions.

Thanks to our currently owned natural gas and coal-powered facilities, as well as two hydroelectric dams and purchased nuclear, PowerSouth stands committed to reliably and affordably meeting its members’ energy needs. Through this balanced approach to energy generation–and with the backing of common-sense energy policies–we will continue to keep the lights on and keep energy affordable for families and businesses in the communities we serve.