More News That Coal is Falling Fast -

Somebody Better Tell the Trumpman Before He Looks Even More Foolish

Donald Trump has staked his reputation on bringing back coal.  Okay, not much of a stake.  But the news on coal just continues to get worse for coal.

Pictures Don't Lie

"THE Hazelwood power station in Australia’s state of Victoria started generating electricity 52 years ago. The stark symbol of an era when coal was king, Hazelwood was one of Australia’s dirtiest: its fuel was the Latrobe valley’s brown coal, a bigger polluter than the black sort. The station was due finally to close on March 31st. Days earlier, chimney stacks were demolished at Munmorah, a black-coal station north of Sydney, already closed. Australia has shut ten coal-fired power stations over the past seven years, yet coal still generates about three-quarters of its electricity."

This fits a pattern across much of Asia, which accounts for two-thirds of the world’s coal demand. The biggest economies besides Japan, which hopes to replace nuclear with “clean” coal, are either closing down old plants or rethinking plans to build new ones. This is casting a deepening cloud over the coal industry."

Well surely this is something the Great and Power Oz in the White House can fix. No, he can't.

"Two reasons explain the looming overcapacity in countries ranging from China and India to Australia (South-East Asia remains hooked on coal). Firstly, electricity demand is stagnant, falling or growing less strongly than expected, which has put considerable financial strain on power plants burning coal. Second, countries are seeking alternative sources of power, especially renewables, to reduce pollution and curb carbon emissions. As the cost of renewables becomes more competitive with coal, it further blackens its future."

The right thing to do, the decent thing to do is to recognize the decline of coal and help the people harmed. But that would take brains and money and compassion, three thing never mentioned when describing Republican energy policy. Will it change? Yes, but only when coal mining states realize they are being scammed and have the backbone to admit it.