The American Energy Society’s Notes on Coal

From The American Energy Society:

China has been unable to import enough natural gas, so it ramped up its coal output to record-high levels, which has undermined the government’s stated plan to boost alternative sources of energy and wean the nation off its most-used fuel.

– Comparing coal-generated power in the US vs India:

• In the US, 74 coal units are scheduled for retirement in the next 3 years (20+GW generating capacity); just four coal units are scheduled to be built over the same period (about 1,927MW of capacity). This is a 6 percent net decline in generation capacity over the period.
• In India, coal provides 61.12% of total power capacity. Coal is the single most important source of electrical power in India, and it has increased from 60.59% of total capacity in 2015. 

Wow, that’s an eye-opener, isn’t it?

Unless we are resigned to poison our civilization and bake the planet with climate change, we need to understand that migrating from fossil energy sources is an absolute imperative, and that, in truth, it doesn’t matter a damn what the U.S. does if those actions fail to translate to India and China (combined population 2.75 billion, more than a third of the world’s total).

This is precisely what I told an emissary from German State Department who came here a few years ago to ask a few dozen professionals in renewable energy for our advice vis-a-vis what his government should do in solar and wind.  The interview I gave the guy lasted more than an hour,  but it can be reduced to two basic concepts:

Germany is to be congratulated for its bold actions in renewable energy, which are especially note-worthy given the country’s culturally risk-averse norms, and

Germany represents almost exactly 1% of the world’s population.  Any solution that doesn’t address the other 99% really isn’t a solution at.  We all breathe the same air, and we all will suffer the effects of climate change together.

I went on to explain that if there is a path to salvation, it lies in moving away from nationalism, and in the direction of cooperation across our civilization.  I told him, “Now, you don’t have to tell me that there is no precedent for such a thing in human history; I get that.  But we either make it happen together, or we perish.”

Of course, the German culture is no more nationalistic that any other.  Here in the U.S., we have the short-sighted “America First” mantra, which, though it’s quite effective in making ignorant people stand up and cheer, it’s precisely the opposite of the mindset we need at this point in time.   God help us.