At the end of last week’s American Public Power Association (APPA) annual conference in Washington, DC, which drew over 1,500 registrants, Breaking Energy’s Margaret Ryan spoke with APPA’s President and CEO, Mark Crisson.

He spoke candidly about some of the greatest challenges facing power companies, including increasing EPA regulations that may force drastic changes in the coal industry, challenges in developing new infrastructure and the constraints of restructuring power markets in RTO regions.

New rules that would limit coal production, he said, might not only increase prices, but may also hurt electrical reliability. Regulators must address reliability and take it seriously, he said, or else consumers may face brownouts and blackouts.

“You need a whole new engine, he said. “You need a whole different approach then what’s been taken here.”

Listen to the full interview: