The extraordinary cheapness of solar is putting to death a lot of fossil fuel generation, especially in tropical/subtropical areas that naturally get lots of sun and especially especially for sectors that can tolerate inconstant energy (which India kind of can, based on the fact that their current grid is already not that reliable).
Coal is already economically lousy. Absent some kind of subsidy – whether a domestic or foreign one – or having your own source of very cheap coal, it doesn’t make sense. Even in the US southeast, where there is plentiful coal, coal plants are being decommissioned because of how uneconomical they are for the utilities.
Which is why it is so disturbing that China is funding projects like coal plants in Africa. They’re foisting extremely expensive, dirty power generation onto these countries in order to maintain markets for their coal. When they COULD be pushing for very cheap renewable projects… for which they would still be the exporter. Not to even get into whether or not these plants are consistently doing things like mitigating toxic flyash.
Indeed, it’s wild that they’re seemingly propping up their 88th of 124 export industry that has so many known harmful effects. Presumably these coal plants come with long term purchase requirements from China, otherwise I’d assume the host countries would just let them sit idle.
The extraordinary cheapness of solar is putting to death a lot of fossil fuel generation, especially in tropical/subtropical areas that naturally get lots of sun and especially especially for sectors that can tolerate inconstant energy (which India kind of can, based on the fact that their current grid is already not that reliable).
Coal is already economically lousy. Absent some kind of subsidy – whether a domestic or foreign one – or having your own source of very cheap coal, it doesn’t make sense. Even in the US southeast, where there is plentiful coal, coal plants are being decommissioned because of how uneconomical they are for the utilities.
Which is why it is so disturbing that China is funding projects like coal plants in Africa. They’re foisting extremely expensive, dirty power generation onto these countries in order to maintain markets for their coal. When they COULD be pushing for very cheap renewable projects… for which they would still be the exporter. Not to even get into whether or not these plants are consistently doing things like mitigating toxic flyash.
Indeed, it’s wild that they’re seemingly propping up their 88th of 124 export industry that has so many known harmful effects. Presumably these coal plants come with long term purchase requirements from China, otherwise I’d assume the host countries would just let them sit idle.