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Renewables surpass coal in US energy generation for first time in 130 years

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    Renewables surpass coal in US energy generation for first time in 130 years

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/03/renewables-surpass-coal-us-energy-generation-130-years https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/03/renewables-surpass-coal-us-energy-generation-130-years

    Solar, wind and other renewable sources have toppled coal in energy generation in the United States for the first time in over 130 years, with the coronavirus pandemic accelerating a decline in coal that has profound implications for the climate crisis.

    Not since wood was the main source of American energy in the 19th century has a renewable resource been used more heavily than coal, but 2019 saw a historic reversal, according to US government figures.

    Coal consumption fell by 15%, down for the sixth year in a row, while renewables edged up by 1%. This meant renewables surpassed coal for the first time since at least 1885, a year when Mark Twain published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and America’s first skysc****r was erected in Chicago.

    Electricity generation from coal fell to its lowest level in 42 years in 2019, with the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasting that renewables will eclipse coal as an electricity source this year. On 21 May, the year hit its 100th day in which renewables have been used more heavily than coal.

    “Coal is on the way out, we are seeing the end of coal,” said Dennis Wamsted, analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. “We aren’t going to see a big resurgence in coal generation, the trend is pretty clear.” End quote

    #2
    Another broken promise and Trump fantasy. I thought Trump was going to bring coal back?

    Comment


      #3
      Aren’t solar panels made out of coal?

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by TASFarms View Post
        Aren’t solar panels made out of coal?
        And rare earth mineral from massive open pit mines like coal mines ? Just asking 🤦🏻*♂️

        Comment


          #5
          Oh goody the end of coal.
          Now if only the rest of the world would do the same so their costs could match ours.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by TASFarms View Post
            Aren’t solar panels made out of coal?
            No they are made from silicon, the second most common element in the crust of the earth. Most silicon comes from either quartz or sand. Rare earth elements are not required to produce typical solar panels however some may be used in production of flexible solar panels, depending on cost and manufacturing process being used

            Comment


              #7
              https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/a3mavb/we-dont-mine-enough-rare-earth-metals-to-replace-fossil-fuels-with-renewable-energy

              Maybe things have changed , this was from 2018 ..

              Comment


                #8
                All modern technology including "renewable" energy depends on the non-renewable resources that make it possible. For example, every step in the production of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems requires a perpetual input of fossil fuels - as carbon reductants for smelting metals from ore, for process heat and power, international transport, and deployment. Silicon smelters, polysilicon refineries, and crystal growers all require uninterrupted, 24/7 power that comes mostly from coal and uranium. Additional mineral resources and fossil energy are needed for constructing PV factories, process equipment, and manufacturing infrastructure. The only "renewable" materials consumed in PV production are obtained by deforestation - for wood chips, and by burning vast areas of tropical rainforest for charcoal used as a source of carbon for silicon smelters. Both media and journal claims that solar PV can somehow "replace fossil fuels" have not addressed the “non-renewable reality” of all the global manufacturing supply chains necessary for the mining, manufacturing, and distribution of PV power systems. Some often-cited accounts of solar PV production exclude raw materials and silicon smelters from the PV “supply chain” entirely, which obscures the profoundly non-sustainable basis of PV technology. A more complete overview of commercial PV production is presented, from the sources of raw materials to the deployed array. >38 references from published articles and industry sources are cited.

                In other words “Green isn’t Green”

                Comment


                  #9
                  Meanwhile boat loads of coal heads to Chi-na

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by TASFarms View Post
                    All modern technology including "renewable" energy depends on the non-renewable resources that make it possible. For example, every step in the production of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems requires a perpetual input of fossil fuels - as carbon reductants for smelting metals from ore, for process heat and power, international transport, and deployment. Silicon smelters, polysilicon refineries, and crystal growers all require uninterrupted, 24/7 power that comes mostly from coal and uranium. Additional mineral resources and fossil energy are needed for constructing PV factories, process equipment, and manufacturing infrastructure. The only "renewable" materials consumed in PV production are obtained by deforestation - for wood chips, and by burning vast areas of tropical rainforest for charcoal used as a source of carbon for silicon smelters. Both media and journal claims that solar PV can somehow "replace fossil fuels" have not addressed the “non-renewable reality” of all the global manufacturing supply chains necessary for the mining, manufacturing, and distribution of PV power systems. Some often-cited accounts of solar PV production exclude raw materials and silicon smelters from the PV “supply chain” entirely, which obscures the profoundly non-sustainable basis of PV technology. A more complete overview of commercial PV production is presented, from the sources of raw materials to the deployed array. >38 references from published articles and industry sources are cited.

                    In other words “Green isn’t Green”
                    Does it have to be purely green in order to be green? Renewables can help with those power demands, doesn't mean it has to all come from them.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by tweety View Post
                      Does it have to be purely green in order to be green? Renewables can help with those power demands, doesn't mean it has to all come from them.
                      YES HAS TO BE 100% GREEN or STFU!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by dmlfarmer View Post
                        No they are made from silicon, the second most common element in the crust of the earth. Most silicon comes from either quartz or sand. Rare earth elements are not required to produce typical solar panels however some may be used in production of flexible solar panels, depending on cost and manufacturing process being used
                        Check Planet of Humans... Lots and lots of COAL!

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by blackjack View Post
                          Meanwhile boat loads of coal heads to Chi-na
                          From BC

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by furrowtickler View Post
                            From BC
                            don't you mean "pristine BC"

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by fjlip View Post
                              YES HAS TO BE 100% GREEN or STFU!
                              GOOD THING YOU'RE NOT IN CHARGE OF ANYTHING OR ANY DECISIONS TO AFFECT ANY OUTCOME.

                              Does that mean that your and my life really mean nothing? That the only reason we post here is to attempt some sort of feeble and sense of feeling of control - which is actually none at all in reality?

                              Comment

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