What’s going on? While Biden and John Kerry attack US coal producers, China is busy building more coal plants.
The Daily Mail reported on China’s efforts to escalate the production and functioning of coal-powered plants:
China approved 168 coal-fired power plants in 2022, the most rapid expansion of the country’s coal-fired power capacity since 2015, according to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and Global Energy Monitor (GEM) Monday.
Chinese companies began constructing 50 gigawatts (GW) worth of coal-fired power capacity in 2022, more than triple the rest of the world put together and spiking 50% from 2021, according to the report. Conversely, President Joe Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is expected to lead to the retirement of 30 GW to 60 GW of U.S. coal-fired power plants by 2030, by making it more difficult for coal to compete with renewables, E&E News reported, citing an analysis by analytics firm Rhodium Group.
“China continues to be the glaring exception to the ongoing global decline in coal plant development,” said GEM Research Analyst Flora Champenois in the report’s accompanying press release. “The speed at which projects progressed through permitting to construction in 2022 was extraordinary, with many projects sprouting up, gaining permits, obtaining financing and breaking ground apparently in a matter of months. This kind of a process leaves little room for proper planning or consideration of alternatives.”
📢 🇨🇳NEW REPORT
Permitting of #coal plants surged in #China in 2022, even as clean energy installations made new records. If China is going to meet its climate commitments, these new coal power plants will be short-lived & under-utilized malinvestments.
CREA & @GlobalEnergyMon pic.twitter.com/GzSnc5LCzY— Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (@CREACleanAir) February 27, 2023
This comes while Biden is shutting down coal producers in the US. In November, Biden opened his mouth on the subject:
President Biden said Friday that coal plants are too expensive to operate, and “we’re going to be shutting these plants down all across America” in order to shift to wind power in a comment that drew criticism from the Republican National Committee.
“I was in Massachusetts about a month ago on the site of the largest old coal plant in America,” Biden said at an event in Carlsbad, California, on Friday. “Guess what? It cost them too much money. They can’t count. No one is building new coal plants because they can’t rely on it. Even if they have all the coal guaranteed for the rest of the existence of the plant.
“So it’s going to become a wind generation. And all they’re doing is it’s going to save them a hell of a lot of money and using the same transmission line that they transmitted the coal-fired electric on, we’re going to be shutting these plants down all across America and having wind and solar power, also providing tax credits to help families buy energy efficient appliances, whether it’s your refrigerator or your coffee maker, for solar panels on your home, weatherize your home, things that save an average, experts say, a minimum of $500 a year for the average family.”
Thoughts:
China is one of the most polluted countries in the world. I’ve driven for miles and for days in China and not seen a blue sky. The air is contaminated in large part due to small fires all over the place. People do this to stay warm. By building coal plants (yes, idiot lefties) the air will be cleaner – fewer fires.
The US removing coal plants is a death sentence and will kill America. Wind and solar are a joke and not close to replacing coal plants. Joe Biden is an absolute liar. Wind and solar parts come from China. This is another great example that everything Biden does hurts America and helps China.
America has been taken over by America-haters and we don’t even know who’s running the country.