InsideCleanEnergy: "Coal power plunged again in 2023 + is fading away in the US—so what replaces it?" Coal-burning electricity generating plants continue to decline in number + capacity. Good for both climate + human health, considering not just greenhouse gas effects but also oxides of sulfur + nitrogen, not to mention heavy metals like mercury + cobalt. Last yr coal accounted for 16.2% of our electricity, down almost a fifth from the yr before, + half from a decade ago. "The decline was largely due to utilities and grid operators relying more on natural gas power plants, which are much cheaper to build and operate than coal plants." The average capacity factor of coal plants has dropped also, to 42% from over 48% last yr, where capacity is simply a comparison of actual electricity generation to the maximum possible. More of this is driven by methane gas replacing coal, less so the rapid growth of renewables like wind + solar. Proponents of gas argue this commodity helps combat climate change, but this ignores a bunch of other issues, such as the effects of methane leaks from the gas supply chain. "To get to near-zero emissions, which is needed for the world to avoid the most harmful effects of climate change, gas plants are going to need to go through their own wave of closings." Energy systems need to be reliable, affordable + clean. "Coal is reliable. For a long time, it was affordable. But it’s never been clean." Gas is reliable much of the time, but has a tendency to fail in extreme weather, as Texas has seen in recent years. "Geothermal power, now a fraction of 1 percent of the country’s electricity generation, has the potential to substantially increase its share." The main dilemma with intermittant renewables is not adequate battery storage, but rather high-voltage transmission. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commision or FERC should legislatively be given power of eminent domain overriding states to get transmission built, just like what is already available to gas pipelines. And much of it can be built along the rights-of-way for interstate highways + railroads. Problems have multiple solutions.
