Mothballed plants don’t really contribute to grid stability. They need to be kept in a pretty active state, ready to spin up at a moments notice in order to be

Mothballed plants don’t really contribute to grid stability. They need to be kept in a pretty active state, ready to spin up at a moments notice in order to be any use. The fuel (coal) left onsite is also an environmental liability and really needs to be gotten rid of by burning it, necessitating a carefully planned shutdown schedule. Realistically, there is no going back: once the last coal-fired plant is closed (in September 2024), it will be gone for good.