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Climate Action 15: 2024's top global innovators powering green solutions

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Biden administration proposed steep pollution cuts by coal- and gas-fired power plants. </li><li>Most US electricity comes from fossil fuels — the sector creates 25% of the nation's emissions.</li></ul>Coal, like the fossilized plants and animals it's made of, could one day become a relic of America's past.Most of the country's more than <a href="https://www.epa.gov/power-sector/power-plants-and-neighboring-communities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3,400 fossil-fuel power plants</a> would have to nearly eliminate their planet-warming greenhouse-gas emissions by 2040 <a href="https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/greenhouse-gas-standards-and-guidelines-fossil-fuel-fired-power#rule-summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">under a proposal announced</a> by the Environmental Protection Agency last week. The plan is the latest move by the Biden administration to curb emissions that are fueling the climate crisis. The transportation and electricity sectors are the two largest sources of emissions, with the former accounting for 28% and the latter 25%, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#:~:text=The%20largest%20source%20of%20greenhouse,Greenhouse%20Gas%20Emissions%20and%20Sinks." target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the EPA</a>. The White House is already pushing for a move to electric vehicles to <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-proposes-strongest-ever-pollution-standards-cars-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduce emissions from tailpipes</a>.Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy is key to cutting emissions in half this decade and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with preindustrial levels. Climate scientists <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/chapter/summary-for-policymakers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warn that crossing that temperature threshold</a> would have catastrophic effects such as heat waves, flooding, drought, crop failures, and food insecurity. The world, on average, is <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/world-of-change/global-temperatures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already at least 1.1 degrees</a> Celsius warmer.The EPA estimated that its power-plant proposal would avoid up to 617 million metric tons of carbon-dioxide emissions through 2042 — about the annual emissions of half the cars on the road in the US today. The plan would also put the Biden administration closer to its climate goals.Coal and natural gas <a href="https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&amp;t=6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supply the majority of US electricity</a>, although emissions from the power sector <a href="https://www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis/greenhouse-gas-reporting-electric-utilities-sector" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have been declining over the past decade</a> as more natural gas and renewables such as solar and wind have been added to the grid and as coal plants close. Natural gas is cleaner than coal, but it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas that has more than <a href="https://www.edf.org/climate/methane-crucial-opportunity-climate-fight#:~:text=Methane%20has%20more%20than%2080,after%20it%20reaches%20the%20atmosphere" target="_blank" rel="noopener">80 times the warming power</a> of carbon dioxide over the first two decades it's in the atmosphere.Coal plants could also opt to shut down in the first half of the 2030s to avoid meeting most or even all pollution caps. Further closures would continue <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=54559" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the trend that's already playing out in the coal sector</a>.Here are the 15 states where coal accounts for the largest source of power as of 2021, <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=54919" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the US Energy Information Administration</a>:West Virginia — 91%Missouri — 75%Wyoming — 74%Kentucky — 71%Utah — 62%Indiana — 58%North Dakota — 57%Nebraska — 50%Montana — 44%Wisconsin — 43%Colorado — 42%New Mexico — 36%Arkansas — 35%Michigan — 32%Minnesota — 27%

The US wants to cut carbon emissions from power plants. Here are the 15 states where coal is king.

Several states in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> are likely to see a power shortage in the coming weeks as power plants struggle to find optimum amounts of thermal coal amid rising summer demand, higher import costs and the resultant supply tightness, sources told S&amp;P Global Commodity Insights. Global thermal coal prices have remained elevated as a fallout of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which disrupted trade flows and crippled supply amid additional demand from <keyword id="28249" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="europe" source="Orion">Europe</keyword>, which has now sanctioned Russian coal. As a result, imported coal has largely remained out of bounds for price-sensitive markets like India, S&amp;P Global Commodity Insights said. The shortage level was even higher at 80.08 million units on April 7, which raised concerns among several market participants, who said the crunch was near to mid-October 2021 levels when India faced an acute power crisis as the stockpile at 115 power plants slipped to critical levels. According to a notice issued by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd. on March 31, reviewed by S&amp;P Global, the state has decided to temporarily curtail electricity supply to segments of agricultural power consumers in the state. Other provinces where high supply shortages were recorded on April 10 include <keyword id="6355554" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="madhya-pradesh" source="Orion">Madhya Pradesh</keyword> (9.67 MU), the union territories of Jammu and <keyword id="6354495" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kashmir" source="Orion">Kashmir</keyword> and Ladakh (cumulatively 4.65 MU), <keyword id="6354953" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="punjab" source="Orion">Punjab</keyword> (4.5 MU), Haryana (4.39 MU) and Jharkhand (2.29 MU). S&amp;P Global reported April 1 that India needs to increase thermal coal imports to meet rising power demand during the peak summers, even as import prices remain elevated due to supply tightness created by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. India's state-run Coal India said March 28 that its pithead stock is expected to rise above 60 million mt by April 1, 39.39% lower than the corresponding period in the previous year. Coal stocks at Indian power plants stood at 25.5 million mt March 28, 12.96% lower on the year. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/xiaomis-manu-kumar-jain-has-been-reportedly-summoned-by-the-enforcement-directorate/articleshow/90803402.cms">Xiaomi’s Manu Kumar Jain has been reportedly summoned by the Enforcement Directorate</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/travel-tourism-and-hospitality-sector-is-witnessing-a-surge-in-manpower-demand-by-20-percent/slidelist/90799907.cms">Travel, tourism and hospitality sector is witnessing a surge in manpower demand by 20 percent</a>

India to face more power cuts amid coal shortage and rising demand

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11892705" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="germany" source="Orion">Germany</keyword> has proposed keeping <keyword id="11911392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coal" source="Orion">coal</keyword> plants in reserve rather than being decommissioned, reports say.</li><li>Doing so will allow them to be fired up if <keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword> stops supplying <keyword id="11955852" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gas" source="Orion">gas</keyword> to Germany.</li></ul>Germany could fire up its coal-fired power plants if Russia cuts off its <keyword id="6354703" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="natural-gas" source="Orion">natural gas</keyword> supply, reports say.The economy ministry said in a bill drawn up this week that it would order the power plants to be kept in reserve instead, <a href="https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/2022-05/steinkohlekraftwerke-abschaltung-reserve-habeck?sort=desc&amp;page=5&amp;utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F">Zeit Online</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/25/business/germany-plans-to-keep-coal-fired-plants-ready-in-case-russian-gas-is-cut.html">The New York Times</a> reported. Germany had planned to shut down all of its coal power plants <a href="https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de/Content/DE/Standardartikel/Themen/Schlaglichter/Entlastungen/massnahmenpaket-bund-hohe-energiekosten.html">by 2030</a>.Europe's biggest economy is heavily reliant on Russian natural gas. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/european-gas-price-russia-halts-supplies-poland-bulgaria-dutch-futures-2022-4?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Russia halted supplies to Poland and Bulgaria</a> in late April for failing to pay for imports in rubles, and other European countries have been scrambling to reduce their reliance on Moscow's supplies.Germany's proposed regulations would cover plants burning coal and lignite and apply until the end of March 2024, according to the reports. The bill still needs approval by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's cabinet, The Times reported.Zeit Online reported that the plans cover coal power plants with a total capacity of 2.1 gigawatts set to be shut down in October and plants with a 0.5 gigawatt capacity set to be decommissioned in 2023.Coal power plants with a capacity of combined 4.3 gigawatts and oil-fired plants with a capacity of 1.6 gigawatts are already in reserve, the site reported.<div type="image" title="German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses the media during a joint statement with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, March 22, 2022." height="3330" width="4440" msid="91793095" hostid="261"></div>The ministry said it would maintain its plan to phase out the power plants, but that they would be reactivated if there was a threat of electricity shortages, Zeit Online reported. Doing so would allow gas to be made available for other purposes, it reported, citing the proposed bill.Russia and other former Soviet states supplied more than two-thirds of Germany's gas imports in 2020, according to the German <a href="https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/SharedDocs/Mediathek/Monitoringberichte/Monitoringbericht_Energie2021.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&amp;v=7">federal network agency</a>.Economists have estimated that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/germany-economy-lose-240-billion-dollars-output-russia-gas-cut-2022-4?r=US&amp;IR=T">Germany could lose 220 billion euros</a> ($240 billion) in economic output, or 6.5% of its gross domestic product, over the next two years if Russian gas imports were halted. The CEO of Deutsche Bank has said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/germany-recession-russia-oil-natural-gas-deustche-bank-ukraine-war-2022-4?r=US&amp;IR=T">a recession in Germany would be "virtually unavoidable"</a> in such a scenario.Robert Habeck, the economy minister, said Germany could become largely independent of Russian gas by 2024, and wean itself off Russian coal and <keyword id="11896879" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="oil" source="Orion">oil</keyword> even more quickly.

Germany may restart coal-fired power plants if Russia cuts off its gas, reports say

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11892705" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="germany" source="Orion">Germany</keyword> has taken the "bitter" decision to fire up <keyword id="11911392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coal" source="Orion">coal</keyword> power stations as <keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword> throttles its <keyword id="6354703" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="natural-gas" source="Orion">natural gas</keyword> supplies.</li><li><keyword id="11893570" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="economy" source="Orion">Economy</keyword> Minister Robert Habeck said it's essential that Germany reduce its gas consumption ahead of the winter.</li></ul>Germany has taken a "bitter" decision to fire up idle coal <keyword id="14244143" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="power-plants" source="Orion">power plants</keyword> to reduce its reliance on Russian natural gas, as Vladimir Putin throttles supplies to the country.Gazprom, the state-controlled Russian <keyword id="11917806" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="energy" source="Orion">energy</keyword> company, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-cuts-gas-supply-germany-siemens-equipment-stuck-canada-sanctions-2022-6">cut natural gas flows</a> through the <keyword id="13275169" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nord-stream" source="Orion">Nord Stream</keyword> pipeline to Germany by around 60% last week.The German economy ministry <a href="https://www.bmwk.de/Redaktion/DE/Pressemitteilungen/2022/06/20220619-habeck-wir-starken-die-vorsorge-weiter.html">said</a> on Sunday that idle coal power plants are already being upgraded so they can soon start generating electricity again. It said emergency laws would allow Germany to boost the generation of electricity from coal for a limited period until March 2024."This is bitter, but it's essential in this situation to reduce gas consumption," Robert Habeck, economy minister and a senior member of the Green party, said in a statement.Germany said it intends to cut the use of natural gas so it can fill its storage tanks ahead of the winter, when demand rises."The situation is serious," Habeck, who is also vice chancellor, said. "We are therefore further strengthening precautions and taking additional measures to reduce gas consumption. This means gas consumption must continue to fall, so more gas must be stored, otherwise things will get really tight in winter."Germany's decision to turn back to coal power, which is highly carbon intensive, underscores how Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent surge in energy prices is threatening governments' climate policies. The German parliament passed a law in 2020 to phase out the use of coal entirely by 2038.Russia has said Gazprom's decision to slash natural gas flows to Germany is the result of Canadian sanctions which have meant key pieces of equipment are stuck in Montreal.But Germany has disputed this argument, pointing out that there are alternative pipelines that could be used.The move has sent natural gas prices soaring and raised the prospect of shortages of the vital energy source during the winter. Germany imported around half of its natural gas from Russia in 2021.Dutch TTF <a href="https://www.theice.com/products/27996665/Dutch-TTF-Gas-Futures/data?marketId=5396828&amp;span=2">natural gas futures</a>, the benchmark European price, were up around 5% Monday to 124 euros (or $130) per megawatt hour. That's a more than 500% increase from a year earlier.Germany's economy ministry said the reintroduction of coal plants could boost production by 10 gigawatts. This would boost the country's use of coal for electricity generation by up to a third, according to the Financial Times.The ministry also said it would introduce an auction system to encourage industrial users to save gas, and government-backed loans to encourage the gas market operator to fill storage facilities more quickly.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/21-year-old-ukrainian-law-student-describes-fleeing-ukraine-2022-4">A 15-hour border wait and bar work: How a bright 21-year-old Ukrainian law student is building her career after fleeing the war and leaving her family</a>

Germany takes 'bitter' decision to fire up coal power plants as Russia chokes off its vital natural gas supplies

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Much of Europe will face a tougher time shifting from gas to coal as Russia throttles supply. </li><li>Germany is the outlier given that many of its coal-fired power plants were not permanently shutdown. </li></ul>A European energy crisis, triggered by gas cuts from Russia, is forcing Germany to switch to coal to secure enough energy ahead of wintertime. According to Rystad Energy, the country has increased its coal-fired power generation the most this year, by 18.2% compared to other European countries, highlighting an accelerated shift to an alternative source of fuel as energy supplies get squeezed. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-energy-emergency-plans-coal-power-russia-cuts-gas-supply-2022-6">Austria, the Netherlands and Italy</a> are also eyeing the use of coal again, but the transition may not be easy for other European countries compared to Germany."Most countries have limited options to switch from gas to coal in generation, since large amounts of coal-fired power plants have been retired in recent years," Rystad Energy said in a note seen by Insider.Austria, for instance, shut down its last coal-fueled power plant in 2020 as part of a plan to slash the use of carbon-intensive fossil fuels. But while Germany shut down many coal plants in recent years and planned to close all of them <a href="https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de/Content/DE/Standardartikel/Themen/Schlaglichter/Entlastungen/massnahmenpaket-bund-hohe-energiekosten.html">by 2030</a> as part of a decarbonisation push, it still has coal plant fleets that can be revived again."Some of them are in reserve so they're not completely decommissioned or shut down completely and therefore, it will be possible to open [the plants] at relatively short notice," Rystad Energy analyst Fabian Rønningen said. German utility giant <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/europe-energy-crisis-russia-gas-shutoff-uniper-coal-power-plant-2022-8">Uniper</a>, for example, recently announced it will temporarily fire up a mothballed coal-fueled power plant to produce electricity probably until the end of April 2023 in response to crunched gas flows to the country, as Russia retaliates to Western sanctions imposed after it invaded Ukraine. To that effect, Germany is on track to have coal power plants with a total capacity of 35 about gigawatts online by the end of the year, according to Rystad Energy data viewed by Insider. There are still some obstacles Germany faces. That's illustrated by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/river-rhine-europe-energy-germany-heatwave-climate-water-shipping-coal-2022-7">low water levels in the River Rhine</a>, one of the most important rivers in Europe used to transport goods like coal, chemicals and grains. It's dropped on record-breaking summer heatwaves and has subsequently sparked fear among the German government of a potential <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/europe-energy-crisis-germany-worried-coal-shortage-winter-2022-8">coal shortage</a> due to reduced domestic shipping along the river. Meanwhile, the global coal market also remains very tight, making it harder for other countries to transition to coal, Rystad said. And in July, the <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/coal-market-update-july-2022/prices">International Energy Agency warned</a> that squeezed energy imports from Russia mean the global thermal coal market is anticipated to remain "extremely tight" in the third and fourth quarters of this year."We see a very tough winter ahead. Q4-22 and Q1-23 will be difficult and Europe would likely be in the need of all other alternatives they can get their hands on heading into this storm," SEB Group analyst Ole Hvalbye told Insider.

Russia's gas cuts are forcing Germany to turn to coal to generate power. Here's why the switch won't be so easy for other European countries.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US renewable energy, electric vehicle sales, and overall green investments hit records in 2023.</li><li>Offshore wind faltered due to high interest rates and supply chain delays.</li></ul>High interest rates and volatile global supply chains didn't stop the US green-energy transition from reaching new heights in 2023. A record amount of renewable energy, led by solar, was added to the grid. Customers bought nearly 1.5 million electric vehicles, a 50% jump over the previous year. Investments in getting the power and transportation sectors, among others, off fossil fuels hit a record $303 billion, <a target="_blank" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/u/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=38d38cf7535847f5821d0d9083351c5b&amp;_e=fzNgJ7vRYzUM3i56253qqFiylNnFi1s_f25ie2pNvT9hb1iGLqm5GIJ0vRdD22jVkFW5l2GSkOk3r81EWtPcbnwZAzrf6Al5En6kXSHAyc1v0G2QK4uEAhVv4A28qLL4garl3tk0hTqWcZyr45SO8-MpHZupRSEiIXn2edrcY8E1mf8EM1Nv__vzaD5UffsAUJdMc_U3GMKzSScbtzv8OaON7LQDAZZyd8_mOVhdrS1sXCOYAzaM0hnCYG0mk_Nqbe5Of-8IgZCFR36_-uuI-iBke24dqc8nOviIguUUh7ECmfeQ3ZGqOlcktcVBqfP7XcDJDt44JspzHFr_3x4z4RYmm7HojnkG4Q5t8qlBKOpS9K2jgtfQz_u7XhUL7kbe">an analysis by BloombergNEF</a> found.The US was the second-largest investor in the energy transition in 2023, after China, Tom Rowlands-Rees, BloombergNEF's head of North America research, told reporters during a briefing. The race to clean up the global economy is becoming competitive because other countries also hit record levels of investment. Japan was a notable exception."We really can't afford to not be having a record year, just to keep pace with this rapid transformation," Rowlands-Rees said. Yet the global investment of $1.8 trillion still isn't enough to cut greenhouse-gas emissions to nearly zero by 2050 — a goal countries agreed to in order to curb the climate crisis. Financing needs to more than double to $4.8 trillion a year, <a target="_blank" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/u/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=38d38cf7535847f5821d0d9083351c5b&amp;_e=fzNgJ7vRYzUM3i56253qqNc0m2-ZGdaiU-mGjCf90qTi4Y25AnHlWqWXQRZmaWx1tNVUt6ZCALA0BUAKcnQ9DnHF3PHOVIeuNRj4QJu7eHZ-46P7JdbD-S0r6XQAFV3XQ04ppGKCrH3VKMWhxKgOJX-wQqbXxyYnO1ar7GOb4k2LT85-8_W5Y_DzqGIkdFmtZGLN6kJv8gnq5v6wtOv8TnrDhWDwzB4APGI9ghXqkUBuVb7Cl5JfrYhOIXY__PRlkNX5RyLUK1dCttY7Avw8F7ofogufpuku1--BMyTMT3E6rqE5ifN4tWasORdQLQVpxC2udbXqJt0Uc9sGk0LIBiSQWAnIsSk9Wqrq7m6FgrknMc4WlZyiF_dIiDwYboOAbdMCmY1Y3pMOkUlhxWI1D4tHGVWUs6cCKdHr4YbEZg78pX_icsssY5XacgsyYQWLPdXHzQ4yA1YeUZ0iOlVRaZwPMjdkt00AjqEkb8viw_wIwMMmRqnfjjcbMPP8p32M">BloombergNEF found</a> in a separate report earlier this year.Here are three main takeaways from the US: <h2>Solar shined, wind faltered, and gas was still king</h2>BloombergNEF found that large-scale solar farms and rooftop panels were built at a record clip in 2023. A flood of solar panels imported from Southeast Asia helped meet demand, in part because the Biden administration waived tariffs on those imports.It was the opposite story for wind power. Companies either canceled or are trying to renegotiate more than half of all the new offshore-wind capacity that was planned in 2023. Developers cited high interest rates and supply-chain delays. These challenges remain this year, but East Coast states, including New York and Massachusetts, are still awarding new contracts. Solar, wind, and nuclear — which don't produce emissions — are taking a larger share of the energy pie. They generated a record 41% of US power in 2023. But natural gas is still the largest source and set its own record last year. Rowlands-Rees said that falling gas prices made it the cheapest form of energy in 2023."This is why things like the tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act are important, because you see that otherwise, wind and solar are on a real roller coaster of economic competitiveness," he said.<h2>Industry has quickly become a top polluter</h2>In 2023, for the first time, the US industrial sector that refines oil and makes materials such as cement, iron, steel, chemicals, and paper became a larger polluter than the power sector, according to BloombergNEF.The power sector, as recently as 2016, was the top emitter. Its emissions dropped by 40% in less than two decades, largely by switching from coal to natural gas. That means transportation and industry are now the top two polluters. A lot of money is pouring into electrifying cars and transit — industry, not so much. "We have our own equation, which is electrification, plus digitization, plus automation equals sustainability," Jeannie Salo, the vice president of government relations at Schneider Electric, told reporters. "Those are the fundamental things that get you there for industrial decarbonization."<h2>Solar and EV-battery plants take off</h2>The Inflation Reduction Act aimed to reshore renewable energy manufacturing to the US through big tax breaks. Companies have responded with 104 new projects totaling $123 billion in investment. EV-battery and solar plants are dominating the planned growth, with 34 projects announced in each sector, according to BloombergNEF's tally.Georgia and North Carolina are the top sites for new plants. North Carolina got $15.4 billion just from Toyota, which is building up its battery manufacturing in the state.This article is part of Business Insider's weekly newsletter on sustainability. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/insider-sustainability">Sign up here</a>.

Zero-carbon energy generated a record 41% of US power in 2023

<ul class="summary-list"><li>German power plants are warning that declining river water levels could cause delays in coal delivery.</li><li>A drought is threatening their ability to stockpile supplies ahead of winter, as barges face delays.</li></ul>Declining water levels on the Rhine River due to a drought in Europe have left German power producers warning of lower output amid coal supply snags, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-02/german-power-plants-warn-of-coal-shortage-amid-low-river-levels?srnd=markets-vp">Bloomberg</a> reports. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/river-rhine-europe-energy-germany-heatwave-climate-water-shipping-coal-2022-7?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Shallower water in key river passageways</a> means it's harder for barges to make as many coal shipments, which threatens the ability of power plants to build up stockpiles ahead of winter. German utility companies EnBW AG and Trianel GmbH each reported supply issues, with the former warning of a cut in power generation, according to Bloomberg. European coal futures for 2023 climbed 2.2% Friday to $320 a ton — more than triple what it was in January. The Rhine is a critical vein in Europe's supply chain, as it provides a trade avenue for goods like coal, chemicals, and grains. Meanwhile, demand for coal is up as power producers look <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/europe-energy-crisis-russia-gas-shutoff-uniper-coal-power-plant-2022-8?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">revive shuttered coal-fired plants</a> while Russia slashes natural gas flows. According to a Reuters report, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/europe-energy-crisis-germany-worried-coal-shortage-winter-2022-8">the German government warned</a> last week that logistics problems on the river could mean coal storage sites in southern Germany will probably not be filled by winter.As Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action put it in the document: "Due to very reduced domestic shipping, accumulated coal stocks could quickly fall."

German power producers warn of lower output as declines in river levels limit coal supplies

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The power grid is too old and simple for the growth of extreme weather, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-car-ev-sales-prices-problem-transportation-2024-1">EVs</a>, and renewable energy.</li><li>Chattanooga's utility built a $280 million smart grid, creating $2.7 billion in economic value.</li></ul>It pays to be smart and Chattanooga, Tennessee, has put a whole new meaning to the phrase. The city is home to one of the nation's most advanced <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-power-grid-failure-economist-galbraith-left-leaning-utility-deregulation-2021-2">power grids</a>.The local utility, called EPB of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-to-tennessee-pros-cons-nashville-memphis-chattanooga-2023-2">Chattanooga</a>, spent $280 million to refurbish its power system with smart technologies to make a "smart grid."In its first 10 years, the project generated $2.7 billion worth of economic value, according to an EPB-funded <a target="_blank" href="https://assets.epb.com/media/Lobo%20-%20Ten%20Years%20of%20Fiber%20Infrastructure%20in%20Hamilton%20County%20TN_Published.pdf">study</a>. That's not a bad return on investment.<h2>The US grid needs its own internet</h2><div type="image" title="worker in hardhat wearing harness stands on large metal frame above a wide river with homes on the other side" height="1500" width="2250" msid="109795973" hostid="261" sizebytes="151842"></div>Smart grids like this offer a cleaner, safer, and more efficient future with lower <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-texas-residents-hit-with-soaring-electric-bills-winter-storms-2021-2">electric bills</a> and fewer blackouts — which is great because the way our energy system has operated for the past century isn't going to cut it for the next one.In most places, energy starts with a giant coal-fired power plant. From there, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chpe-transmission-line-hydropower-renewable-energy-electrical-grid-2024-4">transmission lines zip the electricity</a> to a substation, which lowers the voltage and pumps it into distribution lines to homes and businesses.<div type="image" title="Traditional Grid flowchart" height="2400" width="3560" msid="109795974" hostid="261" sizebytes="194952"></div>Electricity flows one way, from the power plant to your home, and it doesn't do much else. It's simple — and that was fine for a long time. But it's becoming a problem as the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-residents-moving-leaving-climate-change-refugees-hurricanes-flood-2023-2">climate crisis</a> complicates our energy supply.Increasingly extreme weather events are battering our electrical infrastructure and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blackouts-power-outages-more-common-climate-change-electric-grid-infrastructure-2023-3">causing outages</a> that cost American businesses an estimated $150 billion a year, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/department-energy-report-explores-us-advanced-small-modular-reactors-boost-grid">according</a> to the US Department of Energy.Meanwhile, climate solutions put their own pressure on the grid. Wind farms and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-passive-income-side-hustle-selling-electricity-neighbors-solar-panels-2023-12">solar panels</a> feed energy into the system inconsistently, making it harder to pace supply with the day-to-day fluxes of electricity use.Renewables also complicate things by sheer numbers — rather than from 12,000 power plants, in just a few decades, the US could be drawing its power from 1 million dispersed sources, from hydropower dams to rooftop solar panels.At the same time, electrification, including the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ev-electric-car-ford-mustang-mach-e-road-trip-charging-2021-8">rise of electric vehicles</a>, is increasing demand.<div type="image" title="A hand plugging in an EV charger" height="3477" width="4786" msid="109795975" hostid="261" sizebytes="418508"></div>To cope, experts say, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-off-the-grid-tiny-house-no-electricity-2023-12">the grid</a> needs its own internet, stat. They're calling for a digitized "smart grid.""It's imperative," Kevin Schneider, the chief engineer studying power systems at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-discovers-new-material-to-reduce-lithium-use-in-batteries-2024-1">Pacific Northwest National Laboratory</a>, told Business Insider.Without <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-energy-companies-remotely-raised-smart-thermostats-temperatures-2021-6">smart technologies</a>, the grid will be inefficient, leading to economic losses and slowing the transition to clean energy. An outdated grid could also fall victim to more and more blackouts."If people are really asleep at the wheel, and we keep pushing further, eventually you can get to the hyperbole of a third-world power system," Schneider said.The American Society of Civil Engineers gave <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/construction-jobs-housing-skilled-trades-infrastructure-electricians-future-work-opportunities-2023-11">US energy infrastructure</a> a C-minus grade in 2021, citing poor reliability and increasing threats from severe weather.But a Chattanooga-like transformation nationwide could save us all money, reduce <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10">carbon emissions</a>, and prevent blackouts.<h2>What is a smart grid?</h2>A key job of any power grid is to balance electricity supply and demand. Too much power could damage the system. Not enough could leave some people in the dark.A smart grid automates this balancing act using a system of meters, sensors, controllers, and computers.<div type="image" title="Smart Grid Flowchart" height="2400" width="3560" msid="109795976" hostid="261" sizebytes="288888"></div>Smart grids can also help businesses, factory operators, or homeowners make better-informed decisions about when and how to use energy, whether they want to save money, reduce emissions, or both."It can send information along with electricity," Joshua Rhodes, a research scientist studying smart grids at the University of Texas at Austin, told BI.For example, "it can control a fleet of air conditioners and maybe can turn them off for 15 minutes at a time" to optimize energy costs, he said.<h2>How Chattanooga made its grid smart</h2><div type="image" title="utility worker wearing safety goggles and yellow hard hat standing in a cherry picker holds onto power line cable next to utility pole above a green lawn in front of house among green trees" height="1500" width="2250" msid="109795977" hostid="261" sizebytes="345380"></div>EPB of Chattanooga first needed a system to communicate with all the smart devices it would install. It couldn't make significant upgrades to its system without it."Everything that you looked to do, the limitation was communications," David Wade, the CEO of EPB of Chattanooga, told BI.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/fiber-optic">Fiber optics</a> would do the trick — and allow EPB to start offering TV, internet, and phone services.With the prospect of revenue and a mission as a public utility to improve quality of life, the EPB board of directors approved a plan in 2008.With $169 million from a municipal bond issue for the project, workers started digging trenches and climbing poles to lay new fiber optic cables across Hamilton County.<div type="image" title="utility workers in hard hats handle thick bundles of fiber optic cable which a vehicle arm is lifting upward toward power lines" height="1500" width="2000" msid="109795978" hostid="261" sizebytes="398786"></div>The project was supposed to take 10 years, but a $111.5 million grant from the Department of Energy accelerated the process, basically cutting time to completion in half. The utility finished building its smart grid in 2012.In just four years, EPB had laid its fiber-optic network and linked it to more than 180,000 smart meters in customers' homes and businesses. It also installed about 1,200 automated smart switches, which open or close the flow of power in response to automated software or remote commands from human operators.The smart switches can rapidly reroute energy around fallen power lines that would otherwise cause a blackout. That means the system self-heals, restoring power in seconds.<div type="image" title="long bar-shaped black device with cylinder on top connected to power lines" height="1500" width="2250" msid="109795980" hostid="261" sizebytes="108992"></div>As a result, EPB has reported a 55% annual decrease in outage minutes, or about 19 million outage minutes a year.Previously, dispatchers had to drive to each switch to manually open or close it."It's making the same decisions that we were making as dispatchers and humans, only probably making them a multitude of times faster," Wade said.In the following decade, EPB spent another $115.5 million expanding its smart grid to new housing and commercial developments.<h2>Smart grids are more efficient</h2><div type="image" title="electricity substation illustration with machines smiling computer screens and power lines" height="1000" width="1000" msid="109795981" hostid="261" sizebytes="74260"></div>Because the smart grid automates the balance of supply and demand — helping ensure there's no more energy in the system than people are using at different times of the day — it's more efficient.That reduces energy waste and emissions.In the EPB-funded study period, 2014 to 2020, the EPB grid emitted 8,300 fewer tons of CO2 than it would have if it weren't smart. That's almost as much as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-celebrities-ranked-on-private-jet-co2-emissions-2022-7">Taylor Swift's private jet emitted</a> in the first half of 2022.Those carbon savings came partly from reduced energy use and partly because of reduced truck miles since dispatchers no longer had to drive to every switch for every outage.It's not just blackouts. On a larger scale, a smarter grid could adapt better to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/great-american-land-rush-land-housing-wind-power-solar-panels-2022-11">surge of renewables</a>.<div type="image" title="wind turbine in a field of turbines against blue sky mountains in the background" height="1533" width="2300" msid="109795983" hostid="261" sizebytes="246814"></div>For example, take the Pacific Intertie — a highway of transmission lines that carry hydropower from the Columbia River all the way down to Southern California. The system may need to send power in the other direction more often as solar energy proliferates in the state's south."We had a cold snap up north. It was relatively sunny down south, and suddenly power was flowing the other direction," Schneider said.Having software and automated equipment to handle that process could make it much more efficient and help the system quickly adapt to unforeseen changes.In other words, a smart grid is designed to do more than one thing."We're going to start to see more things like that, where the system was designed to do X, and we're seeing ABCDEFG," Schneider said.<h2>Smart grids can bring huge economic benefits</h2><div type="image" title="illustration of smiling houses with solar panels and wind turbines and cars plugged into electric charging stations" height="1000" width="1000" msid="109795984" hostid="261" sizebytes="78854"></div>Even Congress knows the nation needs a smart grid. In 2007, it directed the Department of Energy to start doling out grants to make it happen.That's the program that gave EPB a boost, and it has spent billions on smart-grid <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/america-build-infrastructure-transportation-housing-regulation-environment-2023-11">infrastructure nationwide</a>.It seems like the kick start worked. In 2020, the department estimated that smart-grid investments would rise to $16.4 billion annually by 2026 — compared with about $6.4 billion in 2018.Though a smart grid requires a big up-front investment, it can save a lot of money down the line.<div type="image" title="utility worker in jeans sweatshirt and hardhat sits and controls a long arm that's raising a large rectangular metal device toward power lines above" height="1500" width="2250" msid="109795985" hostid="261" sizebytes="155530"></div>The study of EPB's smart grid, for instance, valued the benefits to each Hamilton County resident at about $646 a year in the project's first 10 years.That's because the project created more than 9,500 jobs, helped attract new businesses with cost-efficient energy and high-speed internet, and kept customers' electric bills lower than they would have been without the smart grid, the study found. Each household saved about $93 a year on electricity bills.Add it all up, and the smart grid with its fiber-optic internet provided $2.7 billion worth of economic value in its first 10 years, the study found.<h2>The future of our power system</h2>In an ideal future, each new wave of grid technology could integrate seamlessly into the smart system. Large-scale <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tesla-will-only-sell-solar-panels-with-powerwall-2021-4">energy storage</a> could provide backup to power communities when the sun isn't shining or the wind isn't blowing enough.Someday, smart appliances in your home could weigh your personal schedule against peak electricity demand and pricing, as well as timing for minimal carbon emissions, to calculate the perfect time to wash your dishes or heat your house. That could translate into major savings on your electricity bill and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fossil-fuel-companies-spend-millions-to-promote-individual-responsibility-2021-3">your carbon footprint</a>."I think tomorrow's grid really becomes: How do you take that massive proliferation of devices and optimize those for the good of the whole?" Wade said.We're still far from that world, but some utilities are rising to the occasion. Nationwide, there are hundreds of microgrids — small, local areas that can operate independently of the larger grid if needed.In the case of a major blackout, they can lock themselves out of the larger grid and rely on their own solar panels or backup batteries. Microgrids are key to a larger smart grid and unprecedented energy resilience.Chattanooga is testing a microgrid around its police- and fire-department headquarters."Today, we are much better positioned than any utility I know of in adding distributed assets to the grid and creating microgrids," Wade said.He added: "It'll get smarter."

Making the power grid 'smart' could save us all money and prevent blackouts. Chattanooga made the $280 million investment.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="11893779" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="netherlands" source="Orion">Netherlands</keyword> and Denmark triggered emergency <keyword id="11917806" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="energy" source="Orion">energy</keyword> plans on Monday.</li><li><keyword id="11892705" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="germany" source="Orion">Germany</keyword>, <keyword id="11905554" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="italy" source="Orion">Italy</keyword>, the Netherlands, and <keyword id="12065119" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="austria" source="Orion">Austria</keyword> signaled a shift to coal as an emergency fuel.</li></ul>European countries have triggered emergency plans that could lead to rationing of natural gas and signaled a shift back to coal-fired power as the continent's largest buyers of Russian fuel seek to secure their energy supplies.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-cuts-gas-supply-germany-siemens-equipment-stuck-canada-sanctions-2022-6">Russian state gas giant Gazprom</a> cut natural-gas supplies via the Nord Stream pipeline to Germany — which also goes to the rest of Europe — by more than half since last week, citing an equipment hold-up in Canada as a result of sanctions over the <keyword id="13186997" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ukraine-war" source="Orion">Ukraine war</keyword>.<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-germany-energy-idINS8N2XQ033">German economy minister Robert Habeck</a> and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/italys-eni-reports-another-shortfall-russian-gas-supplies-2022-06-16/">Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi</a> said last week Gazprom's move was politically motivated, but Moscow insists it's technical. "We have gas, it is ready to be delivered, but the Europeans must give back the equipment, which should be repaired under their obligations," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-gas-idAFL1N2Y70JT">Reuters</a> reported.The European Union relies on <keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword> for roughly 40% of its natural gas and, despite lining up a ban on imports of oil and coal, it has not made any decisions to limit gas purchases.On Monday, the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-netherlands-gas-idAFL1N2Y70Z9">Netherlands</a> and Denmark said they were working on emergency plans to deal with disruptions to energy supplies.In the Netherlands, authorities will plan for and alert the public if gas supplies get tight, although it was not clear how gas would be rationed in the event of a real shortage, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-netherlands-gas-idAFL1N2Y70Z9">Reuters</a> reported. Meanwhile, Denmark's energy agency said in a <a href="https://ens.dk/presse/energistyrelsen-erklaerer-early-warning">press release</a> that if the situation escalates, natural gas would be rationed and limited to some industrial users so consumers could have winter heating.Italy's considering declaring a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/italy-weighing-state-alert-amid-russian-gas-supplies-squeeze-2022-06-17/">state of alert on energy</a> after Russia's deliveries to energy giant Eni fell short of what it had requested for a sixth day on Monday, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/italys-eni-signals-fifth-daily-shortfall-russian-gas-supplies-2022-06-19/">Reuters</a> reported, citing two government sources. Under a state of alert, Italy could start rationing gas to industrial users.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/european-countries-facing-economic-turmoil-recessions-russia-cuts-gas-supply-2022-6">Germany and Austria</a> have already triggered emergency plans that could eventually lead to gas rationing.<h2>Coal-generated power as backup</h2>Europe's in the thick of a summer heatwave now, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/heatwave-puts-europes-energy-systems-test-2022-06-17/">driving up natural-gas demand</a> for cooling systems. Russia's decision to choke off supply raises questions about how the region can prepare for the crucial winter months, when consumption is far higher.The price of coal for delivery in Europe has risen by 152% this year, compared with a 75% rise in the price of gas.On Monday, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands indicated coal-generated power could help them weather an energy crisis this coming winter. It is also at odds with their commitment to cut back on the use of coal — the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/coal/production/quarterly/co2_article/co2.html">most carbon-intensive fossil fuel</a> — and most European countries' plans to <a href="https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/oil-gas-and-coal/eu-coal-regions/coal-regions-transition_en">phase out coal-fired plants by 2030.</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/germany-coal-power-plants-russia-cuts-natural-gas-climate-energy-2022-6">Germany's Habeck said the country</a> said it took a "bitter" decision to restart idle coal power plants but it was a "sheer necessity" to cut gas use, per <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/europe-may-shift-back-coal-russia-turns-down-gas-flows-2022-06-20/">Reuters.</a>"But if we don't do it, then we run the risk that the storage facilities will not be full enough at the end of the year towards the winter season. And then we are blackmailable on a political level," he said, according to the news agency.Austria — which <a href="https://apnews.com/article/48fbd5c9cd8792e282a6e0b124f311dc">shut its last coal-fired power plant in 2020</a> — said it's converting a gas-fired power plant to run on coal in case of emergencies. Netherlands removed its limit on coal-generated energy production, per Reuters.Meanwhile, Italy's coal-fired power plants have been hoarding coal in the last few months, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/italy-weighing-state-alert-amid-russian-gas-supplies-squeeze-2022-06-17/">Reuters</a> reported last week, citing an industrial source.European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said EU countries need to stay focussed on renewable energy even amid the natural-gas crisis."We have to make sure that we use this crisis to move forward and not to have a backsliding on the dirty fossil fuels," von der Leyen told the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/a8b179e2-b565-42b6-bb41-90aea44536e1">Financial Times</a> on Monday.

Europe is drawing up emergency plans to switch back to coal after Russia cuts natural-gas supplies

<ul class="summary-list"><li>German utility giant Uniper said it will restart a coal-fired power plant to generate electricity. </li><li>The plant will provide power from Monday to April next year, after Russia halted gas flows to the country again.</li></ul>Germany's utility giant Uniper said it will restart a mothballed coal-fueled power plant to generate electricity after Russia restricted gas flows to the country again.The Düsseldorf-based company, which is Europe's biggest buyer of Russian gas, <a href="https://www.uniper.energy/news/uniper-brings-heyden-4-hard-coal-fired-power-plant-back-onto-the-market">said it will temporarily fire up</a> the Heyden 4 hard-coal-fired power plant to start generating power from Monday. It will provide electricity probably until the end of April 2023.Uniper's switch to coal, after ending operations in 2020 as past of its decarbonisation plan, highlights what one analyst has called a <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/energy-crisis-8-out-of-10-scariness-scale-rystad-russia-2022-8#norway-1">"scary" energy shortage in Europe</a> as Russia cuts gas supply and heatwaves drive up demand. In a surprise move Friday, Russia's state-run energy giant <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/russia-gazprom-nord-stream-1-gas-energy-recession-europe-shutdown-2022-8">Gazprom said it would halt Nord Stream 1 gas flows</a> to Germany for three days while the pipeline undergoes maintenance. The pipeline's flows have already been <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/russia-gas-flows-resume-nord-stream-pipeline-europe-energy-crisis-2022-7">cut to just 20%</a> of capacity.The European energy crisis has left several regional leaders fearful about winter as supplies get squeezed, and some officials have accused Moscow of weaponizing energy in retaliation for Western sanctions imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine.European prices of <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/natural-gas-prices-european-russia-pipeline-shutdown-nord-stream-maintenance-2022-8">natural gas soared almost 20%</a> to fresh record highs after the Nord Stream 1 pause news, and the energy worries are unsettling other financial markets.The move to revive Heyden 4 was prompted by a German law passed to ensure energy security, Uniper said. The law sets out a ban on the use of gas and calls for a switch to coal power plants to generate electricity."It appears that demand destruction remains the most obvious but painful cure right now, along with a longer-term focus on ensuring a broad-based supply of energy from coal, gas, nuclear, solar, hydrogen, and more," Saxo Bank analysts said in a note Tuesday. The Petershagen plant could keep producing electricity for another year beyond next April if the law is extended, Uniper said.The "envisaged operation of Heyden 4 will be restricted due to limitations on the rail transportation capacity of hard coal to the site, which might get lifted once additional transportation capacity becomes available," it noted.

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