Posted on 07/07/2021 8:22:36 AM PDT by karpov
Coal use is surging in some of the world’s largest economies as electricity demand rebounds from the pandemic, illustrating the challenges to countries looking to wean themselves off the dirty but reliable fossil fuel.
Coal was in decline for years in many countries, but its use is now picking up in the U.S., China and Europe despite growing pressure from governments, investors and environmentalists to curb carbon emissions. The leading reason for the uptick—which has pushed coal prices to multiyear highs—is rising power demand as economies reopen rapidly from pandemic hibernation.
While analysts and executives say the resurgence of coal is likely to be short-lived, it shows the world’s continued dependence on fossil fuels until renewable-energy capacity grows further and storage technologies improve.
Countries have spent billions adding renewable-power capacity at record rates, but solar and wind projects generate electricity only when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing, and can’t be ramped up when demand rises. Those limitations mean the world is still reliant on fossil fuels, especially when there is a surge in electricity demand. Analysts say this will remain the case until more renewable capacity is added, along with storage such as batteries.
“It’s difficult to get off coal because of security of supply. At the end of the day you need to keep the lights on,” said Kathryn Porter, founder of energy consulting firm Watt-Logic. “When governments are faced with the choice of not supplying electricity, or using coal, they will use coal.”
The need for more coal is arising as economies recover. The global economy is expected to expand this year at the fastest pace since 1980, according to the International Monetary Fund, as advanced economies spend aggressively to counter the impact of Covid-19 and related lockdowns.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Great. Now we have to train some ‘coders’ how to mine coal.
The same with oil. They say they hate Big Oil, but by blocking the little guys from doing fracking they help their Big Oil cronies keep a monopoly.
Coal isn’t even that “dirty” especially with new power-generation equipment
Yes, it produces CO2, which I do not consider a pollutant.
I know! I know!
Let’s cover the entire land mass of the world with environmentally catastrophic windmills and solar panels!
Comment of the day!
The below study says that to change only the UK's fleet of cars to all electric by 2050, would need twice the world's present output of cobalt, and 75% of lithium, and all of present supply of several rare earth elements
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/press-office/press-releases/leading-scientists-set-out-resource-challenge-of-meeting-net-zer.html
360 years of proven coal reserves in North America.
What are we worried about ?
That was hilarious!
These guys agree with you:
Storage? Batteries.
What about nuclear? Fission?
This professor is a good resource... Watch all of his videos. Both on wind, solar, nuclear....
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKH_iLhhkTyt8Dk4dmeCQ9w
Thank you. Thank you very much. I’ll be here all week. Ta da Boom! :-)
If environmental wackos were serious they would push Nuclear power as the solution
Coal fired Electric Vehicles , wait that’s going back in time
I bet California wishes they had back those coal plants in AZ that were destroyed in the last few years.
Fifty years ago the environmental wackos were screaming about the evil of nuclear power! Within 10 years they stopped all new nukes.
The Unites States is the Saudi Arabia of coal. I’ve read that there’s new technology available that can remove much,if not most,of the nasty stuff that comes out of the plant’s smokestack.
If they think coal is bad just wait until they have 100 trillion lead acid batteries seeping in the ground.
It’s expensive but yes you can get close to what natural gas emissions are without hundreds of millions in scrubbers.
Check out the last link and how much coal pollutes the air
The better way is to leave the nasty stuff in the ground where it belongs. The same directional drilling tech for shale oil and gas is exactly the same for UCG.
https://www.powermag.com/underground-coal-gasification-another-clean-coal-option/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352854016300833
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2019/07/31/net-zero-natural-gas-plant-the-game-changer/
https://wustl.resoluteinnovation.com/technologies/T018640_modular-pressurized-coal-combustion
https://www.epa.gov/mats/cleaner-power-plants
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