Activists of Greenpeace and Fridays For Future demonstrate on a canal in front of the cooling tower of the coal-fired power plant Datteln 4 of power supplier Uniper in Datteln, western Germany, on May 20. INA FASSBENDER / AFP / Getty Images
The Bundestag and Bundesrat — Germany's lower and upper houses of parliament — passed legislation on Friday that would phase out coal use in the country in less than two decades as part of a road map to reduce carbon emissions.
<p>"The fossil age in Germany comes to an irrevocable end with this decision," said Economy Minister Peter Altmaier. Environment Minister Svenja Schulze called it a "great political success for all those who care about the climate-friendly future of our children and grandchildren."</p><p>The legislative package has two main features. The first establishes a legal avenue for the gradual reduction in emissions by 2038 at the latest, while the second targets regional economies that would be impacted by the phaseout.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/germany-approves-coal-phaseout-by-2038/a-54040605" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2646343538#/" target="_self"></a></em><em></em></p>
Preparing for the Future
<p>Coal-producing regions in the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg will have access to €40 billion ($45 billion) to help absorb the impact. Those funds are also expected to go towards restructuring regional economies, re-skilling workers and expanding local infrastructure.</p><p>Financial compensation is also be available to coal plant operators who face losses as a result of the early phaseout. However, compensation is contingent on operators announcing plans by 2026 to shutter plants and cease other emissions-intensive activity.</p><p>Michael Vassiliadis, who heads the IG BCE trade union, called the measures a "historic landmark." He said the package has provided a safety net for workers affected by the phase out and would provide them with the necessary support to transition to future sectors.</p>'Historic Error'
<p>However, not everyone agrees that the measures are enough to mitigate climate change.</p><p>Environmentalist activists say the legislation falls short of its ultimate aim, with Greenpeace managing director Martin Kaiser describing it as a "historic error."</p><p>German Green party chief Annalena Baerbock said the legislation was "oblivious to the future" and instead called on the government to complete Germany's coal phase out by 2030 the latest.</p><p>Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/germans-most-worried-about-refugees-climate-change/a-51947417" target="_blank">a DeutschlandTrend survey</a> found that 27 percent of Germans believe climate change is the most pressing issue facing the country, just slightly behind refugees and immigration policy.</p><p>Germany is seeking to establish a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. The European Commission has also pushed forward with similar plans for the EU.</p>From Your Site Articles
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Smoke rises from a cement factory in Castleton in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England. john finney photography / Moment / Getty Images
Human activity has pushed atmospheric carbon dioxide to higher levels today than they have been at any other point in the last 23-million-years, potentially posing unprecedented disruptions in ecosystems across the planet, new research suggests.
<p>Understanding atmospheric concentrations of CO2 is "vital for understanding Earth's climate system" because it "imparts a controlling effect on global temperatures," said scientists in a study published in <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article/doi/10.1130/G47681.1/586769/A-23-m-y-record-of-low-atmospheric-CO2" target="_blank"><em>Geology</em></a>.</p><p>Climate change is largely driven by a disproportionate increase of CO2 in the atmosphere largely resulting from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas as well as cutting down or burning forests that serve as carbon stores, according to the <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/why-does-co2-get-more-attention-other-gases" target="_blank">Union of Concerned Scientists</a>. A 2013 study published by the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/syr/" target="_blank">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> found that climate change from CO2 and greenhouse gas emission is not only caused by humans but has had "widespread impacts on human and natural systems."</p>
<p>Previous measurements have turned to ice cores to determine CO2 levels present in the atmosphere throughout Earth's history, but have only pieced together the last 800,000 years. To expand upon this record, researchers at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette used fossilized remains of ancient plant tissue to produce a record of atmospheric CO2 dating back 31 million years of "uninterrupted Earth history."</p><p>As plants grow, the amount of two stable carbon isotopes, carbon-12 and carbon-13, change in response to CO2 levels in the atmosphere. With this in mind, the research team measured the relative amount of these carbon isotopes in fossil plant materials from 700 measurements, published in 12 studies, characterizing ancient plants and their lipids in order to calculate concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere during the timeframe that the plants grew.</p>
<p>This atmospheric "timeline" did not show fluctuations in CO2 that are comparable to increases seen in the last century. In fact, the highest concentrations of CO2 were found during the Miocene, between 5 and 23 million years ago, but were still determined to have been below present-day levels.</p><p>"These data suggest present-day CO2 exceeds the highest levels that Earth experienced at least since the Miocene, further highlighting the present-day disruption of long-established CO2 trends within Earth's atmosphere," write the study authors in <em>Geology</em>.</p>
<p>The abrupt increase of greenhouse gas distribution today is unprecedented in Earth's 23-million-year history, indicating that ecosystems and global temperatures may be more sensitive to smaller changes in CO2 levels than previously thought. Though CO2 levels have varied widely throughout Earth's history, researchers believe that they have never fluctuated nor been as high as in recent years.</p><p>"One of the most pressing messages that climate scientists attempt to convey to the public is that current CO2 is elevated compared to the geological past," write the study authors, adding that the results also indirectly imply that major changes in plant and early humans were not driven by large changes in CO2 but rather "relatively small-amplitude changes."</p>
<p>Humans have increased atmospheric CO2 concentration by more than one-third since the Industrial Revolution began, according to <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/" target="_blank">NASA</a>. Though the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51281986" target="_blank">BBC</a> reports "worst-case scenario" for emissions of CO2 in the 21st century is considered unlikely by researchers, scientists still expect a rise of around 3 degrees Celsius by 2100, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/15/worst-case-scenario-2050-climate-crisis-future-we-choose-christiana-figueres-tom-rivett-carnac" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> — 1.5 degrees Celsius above goals set forth by the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/international/negotiations/paris_en" target="_blank">Paris agreement</a>. A report published by the <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide" target="_blank">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> earlier this year corroborates the findings, confirming that CO2 levels in 2018 were higher than at any other point in the past 800,000 years. The last time amounts were this high was more than 3 million years ago, when global temperatures were between 3.6 and 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit higher than during the pre-industrial era, and sea level was 50 to 80 feet higher than today.</p>
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EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Clean Water Act Rollback: Trump's EPA Limits States’ and Tribes’ Rights to Block Pipelines
02 June
Politics
Workers clean up a crude oil leak from a pipeline in Minnesota in 2002. JOEY MCLEISTER / Star Tribune via Getty Images
The Trump administration has finalized a rule making it harder for states and tribal communities to block pipelines and other infrastructure projects that threaten waterways.
<p>The change concerns Section 401 of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/clean-water-act" target="_self">Clean Water Act</a>, which essentially gives states and tribes veto power over projects that would hurt their water quality, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/500480-trump-rule-limits-states-from-blocking" target="_blank">The Hill explained</a>. The changes, announced by the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa" target="_self">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) Monday, give states and tribes a one-year deadline for reviewing projects and narrow the scope of what they can consider to only water issues, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/climate/trump-clean-water-pipelines.html" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>. They may no longer block projects because they would contribute to the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>.</p><p>"This is a dangerous mistake," director of federal water policy at the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/" target="_blank">Natural Resources Defense Council</a> (NRDC) Jon Devine said in a <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/nrdc/epa-curbs-state-and-tribal-authority-block-projects-harm-waterways?utm_source=tw&utm_medium=tweet&utm_campaign=EJ" target="_blank">statement</a>. "It makes a mockery of this EPA's claimed respect for 'cooperative federalism.'"</p>
<p>In recent years, states have used Section 401 to block a number of high profile <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuels</a> projects, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/06/01/epa-limits-states-tribes-ability-protest-pipelines-other-energy-projects/" target="_blank">The Washington Post reported</a>. Last month, New York and New Jersey <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/new-york-rejects-williams-pipeline-2646023924.html" target="_self">blocked permits</a> for the Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline, which would have carried fracked <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/natural-gas" target="_self">natural gas</a> from Pennsylvania through both states. New York also blocked the Constitution pipeline that would have also moved gas from Pennsylvania. And Washington state blocked a $680 million <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coal" target="_self">coal</a> export facility in 2017.</p><p>Climate activists have seen Section 401 as a useful tool for keeping fossil fuels in the ground, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/06/01/867224980/trump-administration-limits-states-power-to-stop-oil-and-gas-pipelines" target="_blank">NPR explained</a>. But industry groups and the Trump administration have accused states of abusing their veto powers, and President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a> issued an executive order in April 2019 mandating federal agencies ease the completion of energy infrastructure projects, according to The Washington Post.</p><p>"Today, we are following through on President Trump's Executive Order to curb abuses of the Clean Water Act that have held our nation's energy infrastructure projects hostage, and to put in place clear guidelines that finally give these projects a path forward," EPA Administrator and former coal lobbyist <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/andrew-wheeler" target="_self">Andrew Wheeler</a> said in a statement reported by The Hill.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">EPA announced a final rule that will streamline the construction of modern infrastructure projects across the United States, while ensuring our nation’s waterways are protected. <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realdonaldtrump</a> is delivering on another promise! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PromisesMadePromisesKept?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PromisesMadePromisesKept</a> <a href="https://t.co/hFGqKzraO0">https://t.co/hFGqKzraO0</a> <a href="https://t.co/LcrGsm4si8">pic.twitter.com/LcrGsm4si8</a></p>— EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler (@EPAAWheeler) <a href="https://twitter.com/EPAAWheeler/status/1267525012489146370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>Fossil Fuel groups welcomed the change.</p><p>"We hope that EPA's action today will help end the abuse of the section 401 permitting process, which has been used to obstruct projects for reasons that had nothing to do with protecting water quality," National Mining Association President and CEO Rich Nolan told NPR.</p><p>Lawyer, former EPA employee and Clean Water Act expert Mark Ryan told The Hill that the changes were a major departure that would put states at a disadvantage.</p><p>"This changes the balance of power that has existed over the last 40 years from the states to the applicants," he said.</p><p>He explained that applicants would be incentivized to run down the clock on states by withholding information. However, he also thought it was unlikely the changes would hold up in court.</p><p>"The new rule will be very vulnerable to a legal challenge; the EPA will have a very hard time convincing the Supreme Court that its current interpretation of the Clean Water Act is correct," he said in a statement emailed to EcoWatch.</p>
<p>And a legal challenge looks likely.</p><p>"We won't stand idly by as they rip away our authority under the law to preserve water quality," California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, whose state has sued the Trump administration <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-fuel-efficiency-rollback-lawsuit-2646114003.html" target="_self">82 times</a>, said in a statement reported by The Washington Post.</p>
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During a protest action on May 30 in North Rhine-Westphalia, Datteln in front of the site of the Datteln 4 coal-fired power plant, Greenpeace activists projected the lettering: "Climate crisis - Made in Germany" onto the cooling tower. Guido Kirchner / picture alliance / Getty Images
Around 500 climate activists on Saturday gathered outside the new Datteln 4 coal power plant in Germany's Ruhr region, to protest against its opening.
<p>Fridays for Future, Greenpeace, as well as German groups Ende Gelände and the German Federation for Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) were represented at the protests.</p><p>During the night into Saturday, climate activists graffitied the slogan "Climate crisis, made in Germany" on the side of the tower.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/climate-activists-protest-germanys-new-datteln-4-coal-power-plant/a-53632887" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2646137253#/" target="_self"></a></em><em></em></p>
<p>The plant, owned by Dusseldorf-based energy company Uniper, began running on Saturday, after a nearly 10-year delay to its initial start date. It fired up just months after Germany unveiled a plan to phase out coal by 2038.</p>
<p>The protests were reported to be largely peaceful, despite several actions during the day-long event. One action included members of Ende Gelände swimming and using canoes in a canal used for cooling, while holding a floating banner with the slogan: "Shut it down."</p>
<div id="9e242" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="38e575ed16e09279dfea210cafaa44f0"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1263057783290724353" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Klimaprotest in Zeiten von #Corona ist nicht leicht. Aber wir machen es möglich, denn notwendig ist es offensichtli… https://t.co/oKazEWwaGv</div> — Luisa Neubauer (@Luisa Neubauer)<a href="https://twitter.com/Luisamneubauer/statuses/1263057783290724353">1589971416.0</a></blockquote></div>
Climate Activists Speak Out
<p>Speaking at the protest, German Fridays for Futures climate activist Luisa Neubauer said: "It's a post-factual power plant. The facts speak for themselves." She said it was a "provocation," to mark the planned coal phaseout with a new coal power plant.</p><p>"We're going to stop this power plant, we're going to bring it to a standstill, we will win this conflict," Neubauer added.</p><p>Former miners also attended the protest. "We condemn the fact that coal mining in Germany was halted and jobs were lost, only for coal now to be imported from other countries to power Datteln 4," said Sebastian Suszka, a former workers' council member.</p><p>Greta Thunberg, founder of climate activist movement Fridays for Futures tweeted that Saturday was "a shameful day for Europe.</p><div id="e0ee4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c4980f9c8b3d58f5d4075f5174690372"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1266646886896881664" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Today is a shameful day for Europe, as we open up a brand new coal power plant. We have signed up to lead the way t… https://t.co/BFX5PcGejv</div> — Greta Thunberg (@Greta Thunberg)<a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/statuses/1266646886896881664">1590827125.0</a></blockquote></div>
Germany's Coal Phaseout
<p>Earlier this year, Germany announced a roadmap to see coal phased out, at the latest by 2038. It laid out plans for eight coal-fired power plants to be taken off the grid in 2020.</p><p>It was an important step for the largest contributor of carbon emissions in the EU — accounting for more than 22 percent of the bloc's CO2 emissions. Over a third of the electricity generated in Germany comes from burning coal.</p><p>Germany's coal commission has recommended that solutions be found for coal plants that are already built but not-yet-in-use to keep them from operating.<br></p><p>The state of North-Rhine Westphalia insisted that the additional carbon dioxide emissions from the new plant would be compensated by the closure of four other power plants.</p>From Your Site Articles
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Dominion Resources' coal-fired power plant located in central Virginia beside the James River. Edbrown05 / CC BY-SA 2.5
Corporations that flouted environmental regulations and spewed pollutants into the air and dumped them into waterways will not be required to pay the fines they agreed to during the pandemic, according to The Guardian.
<p>The forbearance of payments totals $56 million from ten corporations for a variety of violations across the country, including polluting air and water in already vulnerable communities, like East Chicago, Indiana, according to legal proceedings.</p><p>The companies agreed to settlements with the U.S. government that forced them to pay fines without admitting liability. However, the U.S. Department of Justice advised most of the companies of extensions in letters that were obtained by the government watchdog group <a href="https://www.accountable.us/" target="_blank">Accountable.US</a> via public records requests, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/27/epa-corporation-environmental-fines-decision" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p><p>The Department of Justice said the move is intended to "mitigate the financial impact" of the coronavirus. However, enforcement attorneys who have spent years targeting the companies expressed shock over the blanket policy, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/493216-doj-lets-companies-skip-paying-penalties-during-pandemic" target="_blank">The Hill</a>.</p><p>"It's unprecedented in how broad it is," said Francis Lyons, a partner with Schiff Hardin LLP who previously worked on environmental enforcement issues at the Justice Department, to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/493216-doj-lets-companies-skip-paying-penalties-during-pandemic" target="_blank">The Hill</a>. "I think this policy goes beyond what is necessary under the circumstances."</p>
<p>In one example that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/27/epa-corporation-environmental-fines-decision" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> provided, KP Kauffman, a Denver-based oil and gas company, has spent $200,000 lobbying the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">EPA</a> in 2019 and 2020. It also hosted a meeting with oil executives and Donald <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump">Trump</a> in 2016. Now, the company has stopped paying the fines it agreed to for allegedly violating air pollution laws when the company emitted smog-forming compounds in the Denver-Julesburg Basin, an area that wasn't meeting smog standards.</p><p>"This is exactly the time to make sure support is flowing to the federal, state and local governments that need a hand with responding to the coronavirus crisis and with the environmental problems that these special interests have caused," said Chris Saeger, director of strategic initiatives at Accountable.US, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/27/epa-corporation-environmental-fines-decision" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p><p>"When we're facing a public health crisis that causes respiratory problems, this is a time to be holding companies to a higher standard of air quality, not a lower one."</p>
<p>Not surprisingly, a number of companies that do not have to pay the fines they agreed to are ones with deep ties to the Trump administration. Dominion Energy in Virginia agreed to pay for a coal ash impoundment that seeped pollutants into the groundwater along the James River. That company has several ties to the administration, including a former top EPA enforcement official and Attorney General William Barr, who leads the Department of Justice.</p><p>Similarly, ArcelorMittal, one of the world's largest steel companies, agreed to pay $5 million for polluting the air in Indiana and Ohio. Its CEO dined with Trump in Davos in January and was part of the president's roundtable in India in February. And Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross is a former employee of ArcelorMittal, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/27/epa-corporation-environmental-fines-decision" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p><p>"This policy cuts off income to the federal government at a time when there's this massive spending by the federal government to keep the economy afloat, so you'd think they'd care about other funds coming in," said Joel Mintz, a former EPA enforcement attorney who later worked as a law professor at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/493216-doj-lets-companies-skip-paying-penalties-during-pandemic" target="_blank">The Hill</a>. "It kind of sends a message to these companies that you're letting them off the hook."</p>
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April 2020 was the first month ever that renewables generated more electricity than thermal coal in the United States every single day. Crady von Pawlak / Getty Images
By Fino Menezes
April 2020 was the first month ever that renewables generated more electricity than thermal coal in the United States every single day, while across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom's rapid decarbonization of its electricity grid has achieved another significant milestone – completing a whole month (30 days) without coal power for the first time in 138 years.
Renewables Surpass Coal in U.S. Power Generation Every Day in April
<p>April 2020 was the first month in U.S. history that renewables generated more electricity than coal on every day of the month. That's based on new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and compiled by the nonprofit <a href="https://ieefa.org/ieefa-update-renewables-surpass-coal-in-u-s-power-generation-throughout-the-month-of-april-2020/" target="_blank">Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)</a>.</p><p>The daily consecutive run of renewables over coal began on March 25 and continued for 40 straight days through May 3. That breaks the previous record of just nine continuous days.</p><p>The strong output from utility-scale solar, wind, and hydropower is based on several factors, including low gas prices, warmer weather, new renewable capacity connecting to the grid late last year, and lower power demand because of the coronavirus.</p><p>IEEFA <a href="https://ieefa.org/ieefa-update-renewables-surpass-coal-in-u-s-power-generation-throughout-the-month-of-april-2020/" target="_blank">reported</a>: "Coal's high cost has made it increasingly one of the last fuel choices for many utilities, a trend reflected by its declining market share for electric generation: just 15.3% in April, according to preliminary EIA figures.</p><p>"In January, coal's market share fell below 20% for the first time in many decades — and possibly for the first time in the entire history of the U.S. power industry — ending at 19.9%.</p><p>"EIA figures also show its share continued to erode, falling to 18.3% in February and 17.3% in March. As recently as 2008, coal's market share was above 50% in the months of January, February and March."</p><p>IEEFA had previously <a href="https://ieefa.org/ieefa-update-renewable-generation-is-set-to-surpass-coal-in-2021/" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://ieefa.org/ieefa-update-renewable-generation-is-set-to-surpass-coal-in-2021/" target="_blank">forecasted that power generation from renewables</a> would likely surpass coal-fired generation in 2021, an important milestone in the energy transition that is well underway. But in the first quarter of 2020, renewable generation unexpectedly exceeded coal, and with this strong performance continuing in the second quarter, there is an increasing chance that the milestone could occur this year.</p>U.K. Goes a Month Without Coal Power for First Time for 138 Years
<p>The United Kingdom's rapid decarbonization of its electricity grid has achieved another significant milestone – completing a whole month (30 days) without coal power for the first time in 138 years, <a href="https://ieefa.org/u-k-electricity-goes-coal-free-for-a-month-a-first-in-138-years/" target="_blank">reported</a> The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) this week.</p><p>The milestone was reached on Sunday 10 May (U.K.) time and celebrated by National Grid ESO, the organization that runs the grid and is responsible for keeping the lights on nationwide. It was the first time this occurred since coal power was first used on the U.K. power system in January, 1882, at Holborn Viaduct.<br></p><p>Within a few years, there will be no coal generation at all – with the remaining plants shuttered, and one or two converted to gas by 2025. National Grid aims to be able to operate a fully zero emission grid when weather conditions allow from 2025, and is accelerating its adoption of new technologies and management systems that will allow it to side line gas power plants when possible.<br></p><p>Just a few days before the new month-long coal-free milestone, National Grid released its latest end of year planning report outlining the main achievements it has made in the long path to a fully decarbonized grid before 2050.</p><p>"We're really proud of our zero carbon targets," National Grid wrote in a blog a few days earlier. "In May 2019 there was a 2-week period where there was coal free operation of Great Britain's electricity system. This has quickly been beaten after the record breaking sunlight in April."</p><p>It noted that the carbon intensity of the electricity system has halved over the last five years, and is down 60 per cent when compared to 2013. "The recent <a href="https://www.nationalgrideso.com/news/day-life-energy-forecasting-manager" target="_blank">low demand for energy</a> due to COVID-19 has dramatically reduced the use of fossil fuel based generation, and this has been supported by our optimized renewable generation," it says.</p><p>"And as supply changes, so to does demand, as renewables capacity and smart grid functionality increases further to enable the side-lining of gas power plants when possible."</p>From Your Site Articles
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An aerial view of Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium and the city's green cover during lockdown, on April 17, 2020 in New Delhi, India. Sonu Mehta / Hindustan Times via Getty Images
By Lauri Myllyvirta and Sunil Dahiya
An economic slowdown, renewable energy growth and the impact of Covid-19 have led to the first year-on-year reduction in India's CO2 emissions in four decades. Emissions fell by around 1% in the fiscal year ending March 2020, as coal consumption fell and oil consumption flatlined.
<p>The decline in emissions reflects the headwinds <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/economy-trapped-in-four-balance-sheet-problem-ex-cea/articleshow/72867290.cms?from=mdr" target="_blank">alread</a><a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/economy-trapped-in-four-balance-sheet-problem-ex-cea/articleshow/72867290.cms?from=mdr" target="_blank">y</a><a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/economy-trapped-in-four-balance-sheet-problem-ex-cea/articleshow/72867290.cms?from=mdr" target="_blank"> affecting</a> the Indian economy since early 2019, and increasing renewable energy generation. But our analysis of official Indian data across the nation's entire 2019-20 fiscal year shows the fall has steepened in March, due to measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The country's CO2 emissions fell by an estimated 15% during the month of March and are likely to have fallen 30% in April.</p><p>As with the <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/iea-coronavirus-impact-on-co2-emissions-six-times-larger-than-financial-crisis" target="_blank">global CO2 impact</a> of the pandemic, the longer-term outlook for India's emissions will be shaped, to a significant degree, by the government response to the crisis. This response is now starting to emerge – as set out below – and will have major long-term implications for India's CO2 emissions and air quality trajectory.</p>
<h3>Coal Bearing Brunt of Demand Crunch</h3><p>As lower power demand growth and competition from renewables weakened the demand for thermal power generation throughout the past 12 months, the drop-off in March was enough to push generation growth below zero in the fiscal year ended March, the first time this has happened in three decades.</p><p>Over the preceding decade, thermal power generation grew by an average of 7.5% per year. As seen in the figure below, the dramatic drop-off in total power demand was entirely borne by coal-based generators, amplifying the impact on emissions.</p><p>Coal-fired power generation fell 15% in March and 31% in the first three weeks of April, based on <a href="https://posoco.in/reports/daily-reports/" target="_blank">daily data</a> from the national grid. In contrast, renewable energy (RE) generation <a href="https://posoco.in/" target="_blank">increased</a> by 6.4% in March and saw a slight decrease of 1.4% in the first three weeks of April.</p>
<iframe scrolling="no" frameborder="0" marginheight="0px" marginwidth="0px" style="display: initial; margin: 0 auto;" src="https://cbhighcharts2020.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/india-emissions-fall/india-power-gen-small-multiples.html" width="800px" height="900px"></iframe><span style="display:block; height:22px; max-width:800px;"><img src="https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/cbhighcharts2019/cb-logo-highcharts.svg" style="width: 22px; height: 22px; margin-top: 2px; margin-bottom: 2px; float:right; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain;"/></span><p>Daily power generation by source and by year in India. Source: <a href="https://posoco.in/reports/daily-reports/" target="_blank">POSOCO</a>. Chart by Carbon Brief using <a href="https://www.highcharts.com/" target="_blank">Highcharts</a>.</p>
<p>The fall in total coal demand extends beyond the power sector and is evident in data on coal supply. In the fiscal year ending March, coal sales by the main coal producer Coal India Ltd fell by 4.3%, while coal imports increased 3.2%, implying that total coal deliveries fell by 2% and signaling the first year-on-year fall in consumption in two decades.</p><p>The trend steepened in March, with coal sales falling 10% while coal imports <a href="https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/coronavirus-impact-india-s-coal-import-drops-over-27-pc-to-16-mt-in-march" target="_blank">fell 27.5%</a> in March, meaning that total deliveries of coal to end users fell by 15%, in line with the reduction in power generation.</p><p>In March, coal <a href="https://www.coalindia.in/DesktopModules/DocumentList/documents/nsebseprodmar2001042020.pdf" target="_blank">output increased 6.5%</a> even as sales fell by a record amount. Also, during the full year, more coal was mined than sold, indicating that the reason for the drop was on the demand side.</p>
<h3>Oil Demand: From Weak to Negative</h3><p>Similar to electricity demand, oil consumption has been slowing down since early 2019. This is now compounded by the dramatic impact of the Covid-19 lockdown measures on transport oil consumption. During the national lockdown, oil consumption fell 18% on year in March 2020.</p><p>As a result of low demand due to the coronavirus outbreak and <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-indias-co2-emissions-growth-poised-to-slow-sharply-in-2019" target="_blank">already slower demand growth earlier in the year</a>, consumption during the fiscal grew at 0.2%, the slowest in at least 22 years. Natural gas consumption <a href="https://www.ppac.gov.in/content/152_1_Consumption.aspx" target="_blank">increased</a> 5.5% in the first 11 months of the fiscal year, but is <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/natural-gas/032620-india-lockdown-domestic-natural-gas-demand-set-to-plummet" target="_blank">expected</a> to fall by 15-20% during the lockdown.</p><p>Crude oil production in India decreased by 5.9% compared to last financial year and a 5.2% drop <a href="http://petroleum.nic.in/sites/default/files/mprmarch20.pdf" target="_blank">has been observed</a> in natural gas production during the same time. Refinery production – in terms of crude oil processed – also <a href="http://petroleum.nic.in/sites/default/files/mprmarch20.pdf" target="_blank">fell</a> by 1.1% over the last financial year, compared to 2018-19.</p><p>Crude steel production dropped by 22.7% in March 2020 compared to the previous month and, cumulatively, the financial year 2019-20 saw a decline of 2.2% compared to last year, according to <a href="https://steel.gov.in/sites/default/files/March%202020_0.pdf" target="_blank">Ministry of Steel</a> data.</p>
<h3>CO2 Emissions Down 30% in April</h3><p>Using the indicators above for coal, oil and gas consumption, we estimate that CO2 emissions fell by 30m tonnes of CO2 (MtCO2, 1.4%) in the fiscal year ending March, in what is likely to have been the first annual decline in four decades.</p>
<iframe scrolling="no" frameborder="0" marginheight="0px" marginwidth="0px" style="display: initial; margin: 0 auto;" src="https://cbhighcharts2020.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/india-emissions-fall/india-co2-emissions-fall.html" width="770px" height="550px"></iframe><span style="display:block; height:22px; max-width:770px;"><a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org" target="_blank"><img src="https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/cbhighcharts2019/cb-logo-highcharts.svg" style="width: 22px; height: 22px; margin-top: 2px; margin-bottom: 2px; float:right; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain;"/></a></span><p>Annual emissions from fossil fuel use in India, millions of tonnes of CO2, 1965-2020. Figures for 2009 onwards correspond with financial years ending that March, with the 2020 number showing fiscal year 2019-20. Source: Analysis of Indian government data for this article and <a href="https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-review-of-world-energy.html" target="_blank">BP Statistical Review of World Energy</a>. Chart by Carbon Brief using <a href="https://www.highcharts.com/" target="_blank">Highcharts</a>.</p>
<p>Furthermore, emissions fell by 15% year-on-year in March and by 30% in April. The April estimate is based on power-sector emissions estimated from daily generation data. This assumes oil consumption falls as much in April as in March, which is very likely to be conservative as the national lockdown is continuing until the end of the month, and gas consumption falls 15-20% <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/natural-gas/032620-india-lockdown-domestic-natural-gas-demand-set-to-plummet" target="_blank">as projected</a>.</p>
<h3>Government Response</h3><p>While the current crisis is having a significant impact on India's CO2 emissions in the short term, it could also influence the longer-term trajectory of India's energy use and emissions.</p><p>Although the situation is only beginning to unfold, three possible consequences are already emerging:</p><ul><li>Post-crisis economic stimulus could be directed towards reinvigorating the country's renewable energy program.</li><li>Plummeting electricity demand has brought the power industry's <a href="https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/power/rs-1-lakh-crore-bad-loans-ailing-indias-power-sector-teri/71721715" target="_blank">long-brewing financial problems</a> to a head, necessitating bailouts with the <a href="https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/opinion-power-purchase-agreements-as-an-albatross-11587489054847.html" target="_blank">potential</a> for structural changes.</li><li>Experience of <a href="https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/oil-and-gas/covid-19-lockdown-air-quality-in-indias-major-industrial-cities-improve-by-up-to-60-compared-to-last-yr/74931010" target="_blank">exceptional air quality</a> could add momentum to efforts against <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution">air pollution</a>, resulting in strengthened targets and standards.</li></ul>
<p>In each case, the crisis could act to catalyse, reinforce or accelerate the factors that have already been driving Indian policymaking in this area.</p><p>For example, the Indian government has already started talking about <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/power/mnre-urges-states-to-provide-incentives-to-manufacturers/articleshow/75232158.cms?from=mdr" target="_blank">support for renewable energy</a> as a part of the recovery, alongside similar <a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/04/14/european-leaders-push-green-recovery-plan-for-post-covid-economy/" target="_blank">statements</a> by European leaders. One reason for this continued support is the fact that <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar">solar</a> already offers far cheaper electricity than coal.</p><p>A <a href="https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=202339" target="_blank">rec</a><a href="https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=202339" target="_blank">e</a><a href="https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=202339" target="_blank">nt auction</a> secured 2,000 megawatts (MW) of new solar capacity at an average of 2.55-2.56 rupees per kilowatt hour (Rs/kWh, around $34 per megawatt hour). This result came despite the auction being held during the lockdown amid a period of severe uncertainty over the future market and financial situation.</p><p>In contrast, the average cost of a unit of electricity from India's biggest coal generator, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), stood at <a href="https://www.ntpc.co.in/presentations/8262/presentation-15th-analysts-investors-meet-held-mumbai-19082019" target="_blank">3.38 Rs/kWh</a> in the financial year 2018-19 ($45/MWh). This figure will likely keep moving upwards with every passing year due to inflation, increasing operational costs and with implementation of <a href="http://moef.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Thermal_plant_gazette_scan.pdf" target="_blank">stricter emission standards</a>.</p><p>Another example of Indian government support for the renewable industry came in early April when it <a href="https://mnre.gov.in/img/documents/uploads/file_f-1586142405322.pdf" target="_blank">stressed</a> the "must-run" status of wind and solar projects and <a href="https://mnre.gov.in/img/documents/uploads/file_f-1585801699131.pdf" target="_blank">called on</a> distribution companies to make timely payments to power generators.</p><p>The <a href="https://mnre.gov.in/img/documents/uploads/file_f-1587398024891.pdf" target="_blank">Ministry of New and Renewable Energy</a> also extended the timelines for renewable energy projects to be completed for the period of the lockdown and the following 30 days. This will safeguard renewable energy developers from penalties arising due to delays from their committed schedules.</p><p>The ministry has also <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/power/mnre-urges-states-to-provide-incentives-to-manufacturers/articleshow/75232158.cms?from=mdr" target="_blank">written to various states</a> in recent weeks to give a "major push" to domestic renewable manufacturing capacity. Increased domestic supply will strengthen the renewable energy program by strengthening supply chains and political weight for the industry, as long as it does not give rise to excessive protectionism.</p>
<h3>Blue-Sky Thinking</h3><p>Over the past year, CO2 emissions as well as air pollution levels have <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-pollution-quality-2019-saw-more-good-air-days-6198725/" target="_blank">declined</a>. More recently, the sight of <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52313972" target="_blank">blue skies</a> during the national lockdown across the country has created a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/india-coronavirus-delhi-clean-air-pollution/2020/04/10/ac23dd1e-783e-11ea-a311-adb1344719a9_story.html" target="_blank">sense of optimism</a> among the public as well as policymakers that the air in India can be cleaned, if appropriate steps are taken.</p><p>Since many of the major sources of pollution – transport, power stations and industry – are also responsible for significant shares of the country's CO2 output, any strengthening of air quality standards – or their implementation – would have knock-on effects on emissions.</p><p>Earlier last year, in response to building public pressure, the environmental ministry announced India's first-ever <a href="http://moef.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/NCAP_Report.pdf" target="_blank">National Clean Air Programme</a>. This aims to reduce particulate matter pollution levels across 102 cities by 20-30% by 2024.</p><p>The program also pointed out that India's national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), dating back to 2009, need revision. The standards are much weaker than the World Health Organization <a href="https://www.who.int/airpollution/publications/aqg2005/en/" target="_blank">guidelines</a> and there is more evidence of health impacts of air pollution <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30077140" target="_blank">being reported</a> even at low concentrations of pollutants.</p><p>The recent experience of cleaner air and the drastic drop in pollution levels due to coronavirus lockdowns have <a href="https://twitter.com/CSTEP_India/status/1252578515255468032?s=20" target="_blank">started these conversations</a> to strengthen the NAAQS among public, research institutes and civil society organizations. As a result, any return of India's poor air quality and smog can be expected to trigger a stronger public response.</p>
<h3>Power-Sector Bailouts</h3><p>As demand for thermal <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rs-70-000-cr-covid-19-package-for-power-firms-cabinet-approval-expected-soon/story-QJpV5trLmebMW9NEnl0ZnO.html" target="_blank">power generation plummets</a>, so too do the earnings of India's electricity industry. In this way, the coronavirus crisis has brought the long-brewing financial woes of the country's power sector to a head.</p><p>The Indian government is working to finalize an economic relief package for the sector, initially <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rs-70-000-cr-covid-19-package-for-power-firms-cabinet-approval-expected-soon/story-QJpV5trLmebMW9NEnl0ZnO.html" target="_blank">pegged at</a> INR 70,000 crore ($9bn) and now <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/power/rs-90000-crore-scheme-in-offing-for-power-companies/articleshow/75436263.cms?from=mdr" target="_blank">reportedly</a> worth INR 90,000 crore ($12bn).</p><p>The sector was already struggling before the coronavirus crisis, making it a major source of <a href="https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/power/rs-1-lakh-crore-bad-loans-ailing-indias-power-sector-teri/71721715" target="_blank">bad loans and financial distress</a>.</p><p>The reasons behind the <a href="https://www.livemint.com/industry/energy/producers-feel-the-heat-as-power-distribution-losses-widen-11579632769183.html" target="_blank">chronic financial losses</a> of the power industry and <a href="https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/power/covid-19-power-discoms-will-require-subsidies-of-rs-1-lakh-crore-in-2020-21/75539215" target="_blank">dependence</a> on government bailouts are easy enough to see. <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/delhi-govt-to-use-pvt-discom-subsidies-to-clear-dues-of-state-run-power-stations/1935729/" target="_blank">Discounted electricity tariffs</a> are offered for agricultural and domestic consumers, with farmers even being provided with electricity for <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/policy/proposed-electricity-act-may-rework-slabs-for-residential-consumers/article31395464.ece" target="_blank">free</a>, and losses covered from industrial and commercial consumers and state budgets. There are major <a href="https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/power/covid-19-impact-turbulent-times-for-power-distribution-sector/75420652" target="_blank">losses</a> in transmission and <a href="http://bwsmartcities.businessworld.in/article/Smart-meters-Invaluable-in-the-current-scenario-imperative-in-a-post-COVID-world/06-05-2020-191305/" target="_blank">theft</a> of power. Distribution companies have <a href="https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/opinion-power-purchase-agreements-as-an-albatross-11587489054847.html" target="_blank">committed</a> to purchasing excessive amounts of power as a part of a push to expand thermal power generation, leading to the country's coal <a href="https://thewire.in/energy/climate-change-coal-india" target="_blank">power overcapacity</a> issue.</p><p>If the forthcoming government bailout allows these structural problems to persist then it could mean old coal power stations are able to continue operating, entrenching the country's dependence on fossil-fired generation. On the other hand, the bailout could be conditioned on reforms and restructuring, facilitating the achievement of national clean-energy goals.</p><p>There are already <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/the-clean-environment-were-enjoying-currently-will-only-be-short-term-without-fundamental-changes/" target="_blank">calls</a> for a <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/covid-19-india-needs-a-green-economic-stimulus-opinion/story-MnFm3MdzRWWv1pD5COFKzJ.html" target="_blank">g</a><a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/covid-19-india-needs-a-green-economic-stimulus-opinion/story-MnFm3MdzRWWv1pD5COFKzJ.html" target="_blank">r</a><a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/covid-19-india-needs-a-green-economic-stimulus-opinion/story-MnFm3MdzRWWv1pD5COFKzJ.html" target="_blank">een</a> recovery package in India. These questions — re-invigorating the renewable energy program, mitigating the rebound of air pollution and addressing the structural problems of the thermal power sector — will be at the heart of determining the outcome.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-indias-co2-emissions-fall-for-first-time-in-four-decades-amid-coronavirus" target="_blank">Carbon Brief</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Wind turbines generate electricity at the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm near Palm Springs, California, with snow-covered Mt. San Jacinto in the background on Feb 27, 2019. Robert Alexander / Getty Images
Renewable energy in the U.S. has beaten coal as the country's leading electricity source for a record 40 days.
<p>The record, <a href="https://ieefa.org/ieefa-update-renewables-surpass-coal-in-u-s-power-generation-throughout-the-month-of-april-2020/" target="_blank">reported</a> by the <a href="https://ieefa.org/" target="_blank">Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis</a> (IEEFA) Monday based on U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, far surpasses the previous record of nine days during April 2019. It suggests that the falling energy demand due to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> lockdowns could lead renewables to generate more electricity than coal overall for the first time this year.</p><p>"IEEFA had <a href="https://ieefa.org/ieefa-update-renewable-generation-is-set-to-surpass-coal-in-2021/" target="_blank">forecasted that power generation from renewables</a> would likely surpass coal-fired generation in 2021, an important milestone in the energy transition that is well underway," the group wrote. "But in the first quarter of 2020, renewable generation unexpectedly exceeded coal, and with this strong performance continuing in the second quarter, there is an increasing chance that the milestone could occur this year."</p>
<div id="ff4e6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="334d4be4838cb92d6f2cb71c495b1902"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1257400871660462090" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">IEEFA had forecasted that power generation from #renewables would likely surpass coal-fired generation in the U.S.… https://t.co/4tknDUCPbT</div> — IEEFA.org (@IEEFA.org)<a href="https://twitter.com/ieefa_institute/statuses/1257400871660462090">1588622703.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>In 2019, renewables only beat out coal for a total of 38 days. April was their most successful month, when they generated more electricity than coal for a total of 19 days. April of 2019 was <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewables-beat-coal-us-april-2639001918.html" target="_self">also the first month</a> when renewables generated more electricity than coal in the U.S. overall.</p><p>This April, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hydropower" target="_self">hydropower</a>, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wind" target="_self">wind</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar" target="_self">solar</a> generated more electricity than coal for every day of the month, but clean power's winning streak actually began March 25 and has extended at least to May 3, IEEFA said.</p><p>Green energy's success is down to a number of factors, IEEFA explained:</p><ol><li>Low gas prices</li><li>Warmer weather</li><li><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/us-renewable-energy-capacity-coal-2638790502.html" target="_self">Increased renewable energy capacity</a> added to the grid last year</li><li>Decreased energy demand due to the coronavirus lockdowns</li></ol>
<p>Falling energy demand is a boon for renewables because coal is more expensive, meaning it is usually cut first by utilities when demand falls, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-lockdowns-renewable-energy-overtakes-coal-record-40-days/" target="_blank">CBS News explained</a>. This has played out internationally as well. The International Energy Agency (IEA) <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/greenhouse-gas-emissions-coronavirus-lockdowns-2645880717.html" target="_self">reported last week</a> that only renewable energy sources had grown in 2020 so far and were expected to continue growing, while all the major <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuels</a> were in decline.</p><p>"This is a historic shock to the entire energy world. Amid today's unparalleled health and economic crises, the plunge in demand for nearly all major fuels is staggering, especially for coal, oil and gas. Only renewables are holding up during the previously unheard-of slump in electricity use," IEA Executive Director Dr. Fatih Birol said at the time. "It is still too early to determine the longer-term impacts, but the energy industry that emerges from this crisis will be significantly different from the one that came before."</p><p>The IEEFA data also affirms that coal is on the way out despite the efforts of President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a> to bolster the industry, as CBS pointed out. And while the pandemic may have accelerated the shift, it did not cause it. As early as January, coal's market share fell below 20 percent for the first time in decades, IEEFA said. Several utilities have also promised to phase out coal-fired plants between 2030 and 2050, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/496181-renewable-generation-surpasses-coal-for-40-straight-days" target="_blank">The Hill reported</a>.</p><p>"The fate of coal has been sealed, the market has spoken," University of Texas energy expert Michael Webber told The Guardian in 2019. "The trend is irreversible now, the decline of coal is unstoppable despite Donald Trump's rhetoric."</p>
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Trump speaks during a roundtable meeting with energy sector CEOs in the Cabinet Room of the White House on April 3, 2020 in Washington, DC. Doug Mills-Pool / Getty Images
Some companies who have an outsized responsibility for worsening the climate crisis will receive small business loans from the federal government, according to The Guardian.
<p>So far <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuel</a> firms have taken at least $50 million that will probably never be paid back. From that money $28 million is going to three coal companies, all with ties to the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/">Trump</a> administration.</p><p>Hallador Energy Co., an Indiana-based <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coal">coal</a> company, which hired Trump's first EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, as a lobbyist, said it received a $10 million loan from the Small Business Administration under the Paycheck Protection Program, according to <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1062934367" target="_blank">Environment and Energy News</a> (E&E News).</p><p>Drilling well site services company Enservco Corp., oil well services company DMC Global Inc. and electric truck manufacturer Workhorse Group Inc. are getting loans, as well.</p><p>Coal mining company Rhino Resources, which was formerly run by Trump's Mine Safety and Health Administration head, David Zatezalo, is receiving $10 million. Coal firm Ramaco Resources, whose CEO, Randy Atkins, is on the energy department's National Coal Council, is getting $8.4 million, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/01/fossil-fuel-firms-coronavirus-package-aid" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p>
<p>Brett Hartl, head of government affairs at the Center for Biological Diversity, accused fossil fuel companies of "fundamental hypocrisy and arrogance" in seeking the loans.</p><p>"It is hard to think of another industry that consistently fought against government regulation, boasted about the power of the free market and otherwise undermined the public good in the last 20 years," he said, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1062934367" target="_blank">E&E News</a> reported. "But now they come slinking back to shamelessly ask for taxpayer funds and corporate socialism to save them from their own poor choices."</p>
<p>Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has successfully lobbied for the Main Street Lending Program to include oil and gas companies of a large size. As <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/495549-feds-expanded-lending-program-opens-funding-to-oil-and-gas-industry" target="_blank">The Hill</a> reported, companies with 15,000 employees or $5 billion in annual revenue will now qualify, up from 10,000 employees and $2.5 billion in revenue. The minimum loan size ranges from $500,000 to $1 million — a move designed to make the program accessible to both small and medium-sized businesses.</p><p>Many Democrats have reacted strongly to the gifts given to the fossil fuel industry while the country faces the largest increase in unemployment since the Great Depression. More than 40 Democratic lawmakers have <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/492991-democrats-say-coronavirus-stimulus-should-not-bail-out-fossil-fuel?utm_campaign=Bailout&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=87229767&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_T0usMF1JIzmKzk4V6u3gpSocO0p8_Z8R4nHhJJRsSDTiCqDZi4fHWH2Q-H2zOK-oLJ_8SgiC8DYAyd7_8zP4kz_P_9w&_hsmi=87229767" target="_blank">argued</a> that fossil fuel companies should not get any assistance under the coronavirus aid package.</p><p>"By hook or by crook, Big Oil is going to try to get a bailout while small businesses shutter," Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said in a statement following the new Main Street Lending Program guidelines, as <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/495549-feds-expanded-lending-program-opens-funding-to-oil-and-gas-industry" target="_blank">The Hill</a> reported.</p><p>"President Trump's fossil fuel cronies lobbied and are going to take money that was meant to help businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic in order to bail themselves out of $200 billion in existing debt," Markey said. "It is deplorable to spend good money after bad and waste taxpayer dollars on an industry that has been struggling for years due to bad business decisions ... It's unacceptable, unwarranted, and unjust, and we cannot let this stand."</p>
<p>Environmental groups also lined up against the notion of fossil fuel firms exploiting a global pandemic for a government handout.</p><p>Melinda Pierce, the legislative director for the Sierra Club, said to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/01/fossil-fuel-firms-coronavirus-package-aid" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>: "The federal money Congress appropriated should be going to help small businesses and frontline workers struggling as a result of the pandemic, not the corporate polluters whose struggles are a result of failing business practices and existed long before Covid-19 entered the public lexicon."</p><p>Graham Steele, who directs the corporations and society initiative at Stanford Graduate School of Business, called the situation the "classic disaster scenario where an opportunistic administration and industry is taking advantage of a crisis," as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/01/fossil-fuel-firms-coronavirus-package-aid" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p><p>"And by the way, these are industries driving climate change. It's both a bad financial proposition of the Fed and for taxpayers and a bad situation for the planet."</p>
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Trump Admin Sits on $43 Billion Intended for Clean Energy Loans While Unemployment Soars
01 May
Politics
In September 2011, the DOE issued a $90.6 million loan guarantee to finance Alamosa, a 29.3-MW high concentration photovoltaic solar generation project in Colorado. The project started commercial operations in April 2012 and created 75 construction jobs and hundreds of supply chain jobs across several states. U.S. Department of Energy
While the nation struggles to find ways to put money in peoples' pockets and to ramp up the economy so people can get back to work, over $43 billion in low-interest loans earmarked for clean energy projects sits undistributed by the Trump administration, according to The New York Times.
<p>The president has long questioned the efficacy of renewable energy sources, has suggested that <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wind">wind</a> turbines cause cancer, and championed <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coal">coal</a> as a clean and efficient source of power. Despite his reluctance to champion green energy infrastructure, some lawmakers and energy experts think it is unacceptable that tens of billions of dollars that Congress long ago authorized, with bipartisan support, has not been dispersed.</p><p>"We're searching high and low all over Washington, DC, for money to put people back to work and here we have more than $40 billion," said Dan Reicher, executive director of the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance at Stanford University, who served at the Energy Department in the Clinton administration, to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/30/climate/clean-energy-loans-coronavirus-trump.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>. "This is the moment to really put these programs back in gear."</p><p>The loans passed through Congress well before the coronavirus forced nearly 30 million people into unemployment. However, they have been held up by the Energy Department.</p>
<p>"They haven't put out any or almost any of these loans since he's become president," said Representative Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/30/climate/clean-energy-loans-coronavirus-trump.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> reported. "There's an ideological or political aspect to this. The president is not someone who seeks to promote the clean energy sector."</p><p>Holding up the loans during the pandemic seems particularly strange since the money could help many people to start working. Anne Reynolds with the Alliance for Clean Energy told <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2020/04/19/dead-in-the-water-new-yorks-clean-energy-sector-looks-for-a-jump-start-1277764" target="_blank">POLITICO</a> that energy efficiency companies have laid off between 40 and 50 percent of their workforce.</p><p>In New York, for example, the state saw layoffs to nearly 5,000 clean energy jobs in March. Congressman Pallone said that the renewable energy sector had created more than 3 million jobs.</p>
<p>"These utility-led programs could drive significant job and economic growth statewide as we step out of our current pause," said Reynolds, as <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2020/04/19/dead-in-the-water-new-yorks-clean-energy-sector-looks-for-a-jump-start-1277764" target="_blank">POLITICO</a> reported. "We are at risk of losing a skilled and trained workforce as work is stalled, and job losses and furloughs accelerate."</p><p>While an injection of capital would help restart green energy projects and allow companies to hire back employees, there is little reason to believe the Trump administration will issue any of the loans.</p>The last new project to be approved under the loan program was in 2016, under the Obama administration. To get the money out of the government's hands and into an investment in renewable energy infrastructure, Pallone said he plans to find a way to address the unspent loans in the next stimulus.
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Sweden's last coal-fired plant, named KVV6 and located in Hjorthagen, eastern Stockholm, on March 11, 2017. Holger.Ellgaard / CC BY-SA 4.0
The last coal-fired plant in Sweden shut down two years early this month, bringing the tally of coal-free European countries up to three.
<p>Swedish utility Stockholm Exergi announced the closure April 16, a day before Austria also closed its last remaining coal plant, <a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/04/22/sweden-exits-coal-two-years-early/" target="_blank">PV Magazine reported</a>.</p><p>"With Sweden going coal-free in the same week as Austria, the downward trajectory of coal in Europe is clear," <a href="https://beyond-coal.eu/" target="_blank">Europe Beyond Coal</a> campaign director Kathrin Gutmann told PV Magazine. "Against the backdrop of the serious health challenges we are currently facing, leaving coal behind in exchange for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/" target="_self">renewables</a> is the right decision and will repay us in kind with improved health, climate protection and more resilient economies."</p>
<div id="8f85b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3a3ec8294a89068508f9af30c0e61d43"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1252516900271259650" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">KVV6 at Värtaverket provided heat & power to Stockholm.
Its shutdown on April 16 brings the city closer to its go… https://t.co/w51dIqytdM</div> — Europe Beyond Coal (@Europe Beyond Coal)<a href="https://twitter.com/EurBeyondCoal/statuses/1252516900271259650">1587458274.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Sweden had originally pledged to be coal-free by 2022, but its last coal-fired plant, named KVV6 and located in Hjorthagen, eastern Stockholm, shuttered its last boiler permanently after a mild winter meant it was never used. The plant first opened in 1989, according to <a href="https://www.themayor.eu/en/stockholm-gets-rid-of-coal-for-district-heating#about" target="_blank">TheMayor.eu</a>.</p><p>"Today we know that we must stop using all <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuels</a>, therefore the coal needs to be phased out and we do so several years before the original plan," Stockholm Exergi CEO Anders Egelrud said in a statement reported by TheMayor.eu. "Since Stockholm was almost totally fossil-dependent 30-40 years ago, we have made enormous changes and now we are taking the step away from carbon dependence and continuing the journey towards an energy system entirely based on renewable and recycled energy."</p>
<p>Egelrud said the utility wouldn't only focus on carbon neutral energy solutions, but also wanted to go carbon negative, according to PV Magazine.</p><p>"Here, the researchers agree: We don't only need to reduce our emissions to zero but also … to develop techniques to specifically reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," he said.</p><p>The announcement moves both Stockholm and the EU forward in their plans to fight the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>. The Swedish capital has a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040, and the plant's closure will nearly halve the utility's emissions from 800-900 thousand tonnes (approximately 882 to 992 thousand U.S. tons) to about 400 thousand tonnes (approximately 441 thousand U.S. tons) per year, according to TheMayor.eu.</p><p>The announcement, along with Austria's, also advances Europe's movement away from coal, <a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/news/sweden-adds-name-to-growing-list-of-coal-free-states-in-europe/?utm_content=1587464914&utm_medium=eaEnergyEU&utm_source=twitter" target="_blank">EURACTIV reported</a>. Belgium became the first EU country to phase out coal for heating and power in 2016. Six more countries have pledged to follow suit by 2025 and five more by 2030. Germany, which is the world's No. 1 producer of brown lignite coal, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/germany-coal-renewable-energy-2644838989.html" target="_self">reached an agreement in January</a> to stop burning the fuel by 2038.</p>
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