As we're seeing, electricity prices are volatile and not quite the stable future as has been predicted by some. AFAIK, fossil-fuel power plants face a lot of the same regulatory headwinds as refineries. Why would those effects NOT affect the electricity market too? IMO, we need more hydro. Lots more. More water batteries. Big hurdles? Mainly environmental not technical.
It both IS and ISN’T an issue. The days of reserve capacity means if the supply is disrupted (no diesel), that’s how long we can run without more supply. If we are consuming faster than producing (the situation at hand), or if we are selling off diesel from our reserves, we will reach a point where there is an outright diesel shortage and no ability to compensate except to buy from other countries…if they have any they are willing to sell. All of it points to blatant executive mismanagement. The reserves exist for a good reason but are being utilized for illegitimate reasons.
“The reserves exist for a good reason but are being utilized for illegitimate reasons.“ The sooner it is gone, the sooner we go fully renewables … wind farms, solar arrays, and tidal turbines. Add to that next generation, designed in, safe nuclear. Bob Wilson
There isn't a diesel reserve. There is the SPR, which is petroleum that still needs to be refined when pumped out. The bottle neck for much of the US is the refining capacity. Then changes in regulation made it easier to export the past diesel oversupply to other markets.