A new study shows that though the world has made some progress in keeping its promises to phase out coal in order to limit global warming, the fuel continues to be used heavily. Around the world work continues on projects to develop new coal plants. Meanwhile, California hailed its achievement in running on nearly 98% renewable energy for a brief period in early April, which is proof, officials say, that the state is well on its way to making the energy transition.
Not Enough Progress Made on Coal-Use Reduction
A newly-released study shows the progress with regard to eliminating coal use is mixed. The total capacity of operating coal plants has grown by just over 18 gigawatts, even while the world recorded an all-time drop in development projects for building new coal plants.
According to the Global Energy Monitor (GEM), development projects for new coal plants globally declined by 13% in 2021, with around 450 GW of new coal capacity in the works. However, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s latest report shows there is in fact no leeway for any development whatsoever, if the world wishes to confine global warming to under 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Much of the growth in total operating capacity took place in China, which added more than 25 GW of new coal power plants last year. This effectively all but wiped out the progress made globally that saw nearly 27 GW of coal plant capacity being decommissioned and formed a significant chunk of the 45 GW of capacity added.
At the same time, while development projects declined substantially worldwide, in China such projects grew by 7% in 2021, making way for an additional 250 GW in coal power capacity once the projects become operational.
China also broke ground last year on new construction projects estimated to add 33 GW in new coal plant capacity once completed. The country views coal as important to its energy security and economic prosperity, with the government seeking to boost annual production of coal by an additional 300 million tons this year.
Analysts have expressed concern that China’s continuing investment in coal could derail efforts globally to contain global warming in line with the terms of the Paris Agreement. Forty countries have pledged to phase out their use of coal, and some countries have dropped plans for investment in new coal plants altogether.
The world has more than 2,400 coal plants with more than half of them operating in China, where they supply more than half of the country’s electricity. China says it intends to peak its coal consumption by 2025.
Meanwhile, the GEM report shows that the United States has steadily slowed the rate at which it’s retiring coal plants. In 2019, the U.S. retired 16 GW in coal plant capacity, but last year only an estimated 6.4-9 GW of coal plants were retired.
On the other hand, the European Union achieved an all-time peak in coal plant retirements, putting nearly 13 GW of installed capacity out of service, with Portugal leading the way by ending all coal use in November 2021.
California Briefly Hits Near-100% Green Power Supply
California ran on nearly 98% renewable energy for a brief period during the first week of April, its Independent System Operator announced, hailing the record as proof that the state is making good progress in its energy transition.
The previous record was set at the end of March when the state operated on just over 96% renewable energy. The state achieved more than 50% of its electricity from renewable energy and zero-carbon sources in 2019, but drought in 2020 led to a reduction in renewable energy use that year.
The state has set a target of obtaining 100% of its power from renewable energy by 2045, and has been investing heavily in wind turbines and solar panels to aid in this transition. Its goal is to become a clean energy economy.
In March, 25 bills related to the energy transition were being considered by California’s legislature. California hopes to stop selling new gas-powered vehicles there no later than 2035, and its government has proposed a $10 billion plan to help Californians make the transition to electric vehicles.
While second only to Texas in overall electricity generation from renewables, in the United States last year, California was the top producer of solar, geothermal, and biomass power in the country. It was sixth overall among states using wind energy last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency.
That data reflects an increase in renewable power use over the previous year, 2020, when the state obtained just one-third of its power supply from renewable energy sources.
New Rules Adopted for Light Bulbs in U.S.
New rules adopted by the U.S. Energy Department prohibit the sale of light bulbs that emit less than 45 lumens per watt and pave the way for replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient LED bulbs in American homes.
Consumers are expected to benefit from a total annual savings of $3 billion on their utility bills. The rules are also expected to slash carbon emissions by over 220 million tons in the next three decades.
LED bulbs typically require only 20% of the energy used by incandescent bulbs to emit light, and their widespread use could contribute to eliminating emissions equivalent to that produced by millions of vehicles each year.
The new rules could eliminate the equivalent of emissions from 28 million homes annually, Energy Department officials said.
LED bulbs are known to last at least 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs, and in recent years their price has fallen substantially.
The effort to replace incandescent bulbs was short-circuited by President Donald Trump in 2019, who claimed that the cost savings were not sufficient to warrant the expense involved.
The new rules permit retailers to sell incandescent light bulbs up until July 2023, but prohibit the manufacture or importation of such after January 1. Electrical manufacturers expressed support for the new rules, as well as appreciation for the grace period allowed before enforcement of the ban.
British Urged to Unplug to Save Energy
Research from British Gas suggests that U.K. household appliances are pushing up energy bills by as much as £147 ($184) annually when left unplugged.
The figure was calculated using 13 standard electrical appliances, though another source points out that the typical British household has more than 40 appliances.
U.K. citizens are therefore being encouraged to unplug electrical appliances when not in use. Appliances left on standby mode or plugged in are responsible for as much as 16% of U.K. households’ annual energy use.
As energy bills skyrocket in the U.K. this year, with some homes expected to pay as much as £3,000 ($3,760) for their energy supply when winter arrives, U.K. citizens are being urged to prioritize energy-efficiency measures.
Consumers are encouraged to use various means to make it easier to turn off or unplug their electrical devices, including connecting several devices to one extension lead that can then easily be switched off or unplugged. Smart plugs that allow consumers to switch off devices using only their phone are also being suggested.
The British government recently raised the energy price cap by 54%, which means that a typical U.K. household will pay nearly £2,000 ($2,500) annually for normal domestic use of gas and electricity. That translates into an increase of £700 ($877) annually for millions of households.
Earthquakes Raise Concerns About Hydropower
Geophysicists in Vietnam are concerned that water storage activities in the country’s Central Highlands may be causing increased seismic activity.
The frequency of earthquakes in the region has risen alarmingly over the past year, and experts fear the storage of water for hydropower may be the cause since no other major construction work has taken place in the area in recent times.
The Vietnamese authorities are therefore being urged to limit the amount of water the dams store, especially during periods of unseasonal rainfall. However, an environmental agency official said other factors may be contributing to the rise in earthquakes, though he did not rule out the dams as a cause.
Recently, the region recorded four earthquakes one day, with one registering 4.5 on the Richter scale.
Nun in Congo Builds Hydroelectricity Plant
A Congolese nun who trained as an electrical engineer has succeeded in building a mini hydropower generator to provide a stable power supply in her town of 300,000 inhabitants.
The nun said she was fed up with the constant power outages in her region in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and decided she would do something to improve the situation.
She raised nearly $300,000 to fund the hydropower project, beginning in 2015. The funds permitted her to build the generator that provides up to 0.1 MW of power around the clock for her community, which includes the convent, schools, and a hospital.
Previously, her community could expect to have electricity just three days a week. In her country, only 20% of the population has an electricity supply, despite millions of dollars in funding from donors for power infrastructure.
Opinion writer: Jewel Fraser
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