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buckle8017today at 4:00 PM2 repliesview on HN

Cool, that's still not a grid for stability purposes.


Replies

nemomarxtoday at 4:07 PM

can you expand? I'm not sure I get it. isn't then having a wider interconnection better for stability and to handle solar? they can share cheap power in gluts and pull in other sources at night and so on.

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toomuchtodotoday at 4:11 PM

https://www.eia.gov/tools/glossary/index.php?id=Balancing%20...

> Balancing authority (electric): The responsible entity that integrates resource plans ahead of time, maintains load-interchange-generation balance within a Balancing Authority Area, and supports Interconnection frequency in real time.

https://www.nerc.com/glossary-of-terms

> Definition & Scope: A BA is a NERC-certified entity responsible for matching electricity supply and demand in real-time within a specific geographic area. An ISO is an independent, non-profit corporate entity that manages regional transmission grids and runs competitive wholesale power markets.

https://www.ferc.gov/electric-power-markets

A balancing authority is quite literally a federally certified entity for maintaining grid stability.

(Utah only has ~2.5GW of coal generation capacity remaining, as of this comment)

https://www.gem.wiki/Utah_and_coal#Existing_coal_plants

https://www.gem.wiki/Utah_and_coal

https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/12/05/intermountain-power-...

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67427