Germany to close all 84 of its coal-fired power plants, will rely primarily on renewable energy

Germany, one of the world’s biggest consumers of coal, will shut down all 84 of its coal-fired power plants over the next 19 years to meet its international commitments in the fight against climate change, a government commission said Saturday.

In this Jan.6, 2019, file photo water vapor rises from the
cooling towers of the Joenschwalde lignite-fired power
plant of Lausitz Energie Bergbau AG in Brandenburg, Germany.

The announcement marked a significant shift for Europe’s largest country — a nation that had long been a leader on cutting CO2 emissions before turning into a laggard in recent years and badly missing its reduction targets. Coal plants account for 40% of Germany’s electricity, itself a reduction from recent years when coal-dominated power production.

“This is an historic accomplishment,” said Ronald Pofalla, chairman of the 28-member government commission, at a news conference in Berlin following a marathon 21-hour negotiating session that concluded at 6 a.m. Saturday. The breakthrough ended seven months of wrangling. “It was anything but a sure thing. But we did it,” Pofalla said. “There won’t be any more coal-burning plants in Germany by 2038.”

Read the story from The Los Angeles Times by Erik Kirschbaum - “Germany to close all 84 of its coal-fired power plants, will rely primarily on renewable energy.”

Coal-fired power plants disrupt rainfall and threaten human health, study shows

Coal-fired power plants can pose a bigger threat to human health and the environment than cars, a groundbreaking long-term global study has revealed.

Barnaby Joyce has called for the Morrison government
to bankroll a new coal plant, despite health and
environmental concerns.

Modern coal-fired power stations emit higher levels of dangerous pollutants known as “ultrafine dust particles” than urban road traffic, and can even redistribute rainfall patterns, researchers from Australia and Germany have found.

While road traffic has long been considered the main source of ultrafine particles (UFP) in urban areas, the 15-year study showed that coal-fired power stations clearly emit larger amounts of UFPs through filtering technology of exhaust gas.

Read the story from The New Daily by Isabelle Lane - “Coal-fired power plants disrupt rainfall and threaten human health, study shows.”

Out on its own: Australia the only country to use climate funding to upgrade coal-fired plants

Australia is the only developed country that allows climate change funding to be used to upgrade coal-fired power plants, green finance experts say.

National emissions have increased each year since
the emissions reduction fund replaced the abolished
carbon price scheme in 2014. 

Experts say allowing Vales Point coal-fired power station to register with the Morrison government’s emissions reduction fund, rebadged this week as a “climate solutions” policy, puts Australia out of step with the World Bank, Europe and the US, which have all rejected using climate financing for coal power retrofits.

The World Bank has issued US$13bn in green bonds since 2008 to stimulate spending to combat global warming.

Read the story from The Guardian by Adam Morton - “Out on its own: Australia the only country to use climate funding to upgrade coal-fired plants.”

France to shut down all coal-fired power plants by 2023

Chartlotte England reporting
 in the Independent about
 France's plants to shut down
 its coal-fired power plants.

France will shut down all its coal-fired power plants by 2023, president Francois Hollande has announced.

Speaking at an annual UN climate change conference on Wednesday, Mr Hollande vowed to beat by two years the UK's commitment to stop using the fossil fuel to generate power by 2025.

Mr Hollande, a keynote speaker at the event in Marrakech, Morocco, also praised his US counterpart Barack Obama for his work on climate change, and then appeared to snub president-elect Donald Trump.

Read Charlotte England’s story in the Independent - “France to shut down all coal-fired power plants by 2023.”