4 ms·

I probably live in a bubble, are people pro-coal burning somewhere in the US?

junofan 3y ago
Yeah, the idea is rather than pay China for solar and battery REM, burn coal and jump to nuclear. The coal’s going to be burned in Africa anyway, so why enrich our rival (who is also burning coal).
- MrMan 3y ago
  [dead]
postpawl 3y ago
https://texasgop.org/fossilfuelsresolution/ https://texasgop.org/fossilfuelsresolution/
pcurve 3y ago
In the end, it's mostly about dollars and dense. Most coal plants are operated by large companies including Georgia Power, Duke Energy, AEP, etc. who have large coffers to fund lobbying effort to influence the public and regulators. They are mostly located in middle America and provide well paying jobs for the locals. Even though no new coal plants are going up, they've made large capital investment building these plants in 70s and 80s, and they want to maximize the returns as long as possible, right up until the lifespan which is around 50 years. So they're doing the minimum necessary to appease and avoid raising the ire of regulatory bodies and general public.
bradleyishungry 3y ago
There’s no real replacement plan for the coal mining jobs in the rust belt, so some people are somewhat justifiably against it there. Obviously we should move away from coal, but if that’s not addressed, a poor area is just going to get poorer. There should really be a plan to build alternative energy factories and train people in those areas
- nitwit005 3y ago
  There are a bunch of communities where the coal innevitably ran out, and the remaining people are stuck in poverty anyways. In theory we can find those people new jobs, but they're generally in an inconvenient location for anything other than the mine that used to exist.
distract8901 3y ago
Lots of the southeast and probably elsewhere. In Kentucky and west Virginia, it's common to see black license plates on cars with a "coal keeps the lights on" slogan. People pay extra for them. People here seem to be fundamentally incapable of considering the future in any capacity. Climate issues aside, we're simply going to run out of coal at some point. I'd wonder what those people think will happen then, but I know they just don't even consider it a possibility. Or at most it's a problem for a future generation that clearly doesn't concern them.
shrubble 3y ago
People are pro-benefits that coal brings... which includes jobs, (hopefully) lower electricity rates, energy self-sufficiency. The price of coal isn't going to change much when there is conflict in the Middle East, for instance...
- edmundsauto 3y ago
  There is also an identity component to the energy religions. There are not many coal related jobs in the US, but there are millions of people who have tied their identity to it. Similarly with renewables, although I admit my bias: renewables are more reasonable to support because they are clean, we won’t run out, and nowadays less expensive. One can reason themselves into being a green energy fan, I’m not sure there is a reasonable way to decide to support coal.

Yeah, the idea is rather than pay China for solar and battery REM, burn coal and jump to nuclear. The coal’s going to be burned in Africa anyway, so why enrich our rival (who is also burning coal).

MrMan 3y ago
[dead]

postpawl 3y ago

https://texasgop.org/fossilfuelsresolution/ https://texasgop.org/fossilfuelsresolution/

pcurve 3y ago

In the end, it's mostly about dollars and dense. Most coal plants are operated by large companies including Georgia Power, Duke Energy, AEP, etc. who have large coffers to fund lobbying effort to influence the public and regulators. They are mostly located in middle America and provide well paying jobs for the locals. Even though no new coal plants are going up, they've made large capital investment building these plants in 70s and 80s, and they want to maximize the returns as long as possible, right up until the lifespan which is around 50 years. So they're doing the minimum necessary to appease and avoid raising the ire of regulatory bodies and general public.

bradleyishungry 3y ago

There’s no real replacement plan for the coal mining jobs in the rust belt, so some people are somewhat justifiably against it there. Obviously we should move away from coal, but if that’s not addressed, a poor area is just going to get poorer. There should really be a plan to build alternative energy factories and train people in those areas

nitwit005 3y ago
There are a bunch of communities where the coal innevitably ran out, and the remaining people are stuck in poverty anyways. In theory we can find those people new jobs, but they're generally in an inconvenient location for anything other than the mine that used to exist.

distract8901 3y ago

Lots of the southeast and probably elsewhere. In Kentucky and west Virginia, it's common to see black license plates on cars with a "coal keeps the lights on" slogan. People pay extra for them. People here seem to be fundamentally incapable of considering the future in any capacity. Climate issues aside, we're simply going to run out of coal at some point. I'd wonder what those people think will happen then, but I know they just don't even consider it a possibility. Or at most it's a problem for a future generation that clearly doesn't concern them.

shrubble 3y ago

People are pro-benefits that coal brings... which includes jobs, (hopefully) lower electricity rates, energy self-sufficiency. The price of coal isn't going to change much when there is conflict in the Middle East, for instance...

edmundsauto 3y ago
There is also an identity component to the energy religions. There are not many coal related jobs in the US, but there are millions of people who have tied their identity to it. Similarly with renewables, although I admit my bias: renewables are more reasonable to support because they are clean, we won’t run out, and nowadays less expensive. One can reason themselves into being a green energy fan, I’m not sure there is a reasonable way to decide to support coal.