Coal needs to hire some better PR people, because it’s taking an awful kicking today.
In America a judge in Georgia has cancelled a permit for a new coal power station citing carbon dioxide emissions concerns. “We think this is the beginning of the end of conventional coal-fired power plants, because of the enormity of their emissions,” says Bruce Nilles, head of the Sierra Club’s anti-coal campaign (Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
In the UK a think tank is recommending a minimum two-year block on coal-power investment. The Institute for Public Policy Research says this is needed to hit Europe’s 21% reduction in heavy industry greenhouse emissions by 2020 (Daily Telegraph).
In Australia eco-campaigners have decried a new AU$750 million coal power plant as “complete madness” (Sidney Morning Herald).
More on all of this below the fold…
America
While cancelling a permit related to air pollution might not instantly appear a big deal, the knock on impact could be sizeable.
The NY Times point out that this is the first time a court decision has linked carbon dioxide to a pollution permit. It shows “that builders of coal plants would face continued difficulties in the court system as well as with elected officials in many states”, says the paper.
A Reuters Analysis piece agrees, quoting Hill & Associates energy analyst Matt Preston. “This adds to the uncertainty as if that was needed,” say Preston. “Until there is a more clear path for coal projects with regard to climate change, it will be more difficult to raise money for coal projects.”
UK
The UK report recommending an investment freeze isn’t official policy, but the Guardian points out its source, the Institute for Public Policy Research, is the ruling Labour party’s “most trusted thinktank”.
The report says if only a proportion of the 75 currently proposed coal plants in Europe are approved the EU’s 21% emission reduction plan will only be achievable through carbon capture and sequestration (report pdf, press release).
Luckily a trial run of sequestration has also kicked off in Europe this week.
Australia
Despite the protests from environmentalists, the Australian government is insisting the new power plant proposed for Latrobe Valley is ‘clean coal’.
“The project uses a process called integrated drying gasification combined cycle which can reduce emissions of CO2 from brown coal-fired power generation by 30% and reduce water consumption by 50%, compared to current best practice for brown coal power generation in the Latrobe Valley,” says energy minister, Peter Batchelor (Sidney Morning Herald).
The valley is also a “dream location” for geothermal power, according to the Latrobe Valley Express.
Image: Getty