India Says No To Coal, Yes To Solar
From “The Independent”: India has cancelled plans to build nearly 14 gigawatts of coal-fired power stations – about the same as the total amount in the UK – with the price for solar electricity “free falling” to levels once considered impossible. Analyst Tim Buckley said the shift away from the dirtiest fossil fuel and towards solar in India would have “profound” implications on global energy markets. According to his article on the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis’s website, 13.7 GW of planned coal power projects have been cancelled so far this month – in a stark indication of the pace of change.
There are parts of the world where, as a friend likes to say, “the government is a subsidiary of the fossil fuel industry,” and, unfortunately, I happen to live in one. Were that not the case, the U.S. would be making far better progress in phasing out coal, oil, and natural gas in favor of renewables.
The fact that India is making such great strides in the right direction is very encouraging. With a population more than four times the size of America’s, and with energy hunger growing by the day, India’s doing the right thing is of incredible importance.
Craig,
You do realize that the article was written in 2017, right?
You also realize the ‘Independent’ isn’t exactly the most reliable of news sources, right?
You also realize very little of what was claimed actually occurred, right?
You realize currently more than 130 gigawatts of private coal-fired generation is currently under construction in India, right?
In reality, Coal India Limited (CIL), provides about 85% percent of India’s domestic production of coal. CIL is the world’s largest coal mining company, with a 70% share government owned.
Coal is central to India’s political economy, Treasury revenue from dividend payments and taxes on coal production, funds most of the budget of the poorest Coal-producing states.
CIL is the largest taxpayer and employer, with thousands of associated businesses dependent of the coal industry.
The Indian Railways are only able to function because transport of domestic coal subsidizes passenger transport.
For power plants located far from mines, coal transport is often the largest component of their coal costs.
The Indian government is overhauling the PPA system of power controls and will decouple transport coasts from new ultra high tech coal fired power plants.
This will boost the economic advantages of new coal-fired power in India without losing government tax revenue.
These plants can easily meet, and even exceed India’s Nationally Determined Contribution to reduce emissions under the Paris Agreement.
But, you knew all that already, right?
So, what’s with the out-of-date, pointlessly inaccurate rant?