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The big thing that’s happening is that while North America and Europe are cutting coal use, third world use coal-burning is increasing even faster.
Until there is a “green” energy cheaper than coal, there will be no decline in the usage of coal. If a fuel source cannot be found to replace it, then say goodbye to humanity. That is reality, and no amount “awareness” is going to change that.
Over half of the growth of electricity consumption was meet by renewables.
99% is over half. And is it just over half of the growth, or does that include part of it before the growth. And what percent was that? And (sorry) source?
There’s a lot of infrastructure cost too. New things to buy or make. It’s CHEAPER to use coal because coal is basically free and the infrastructure to use it exists.
I’m not arguing for coal, yucky, but companies and investors don’t go for less profit.
I am just paraphrasing the article. Looking up their IEA source they use for 2021 shows some newer data. I would have thought FT was better then that. But it is using 2024 73% renewables and another 8% nuclear. Coal made up 7.2%
https://www.iea.org/reports/global-energy-review-2025/electricity
At least until theres not enough survivors to operate and maintain the infrastructure to extract coal. At one point everyone is going to look around and realize society can’t operate anymore and that will be that.
We will probably be underground at that point… burning “clean coal”