"Clean Coal" Plan Likely To Make Oz Emissions Even Worse; Electricity Sector Already 2nd-Dirtiest

[hatrack]

The government has indicated it will act to allow the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to finance new coal-fired power plants on the basis that these coal plants have lower emissions than existing coal power plants.

While such power plants may have lower emissions than Australia’s ageing and extremely inefficient existing coal plants, they would most likely increase Australia’s emissions rather than decrease them. And this is in a context where Australia’s electricity supply is the second most polluting in the developed world (beaten only by Estonia).

EDIT

With the closure of the Hazelwood coal-fired power station shortly, there will be a significant improvement in Australia’s electricity supply emission intensity. In addition, by 2022, which is probably the earliest point a new coal power plant could be built, Australia will have added a significant amount of new zero-emission power plant capacity from wind and solar to meet the renewable energy target.

Using the government’s own analysis of future emissions based on existing policies, our grid’s emissions will be lower than these so-called clean coal power plants. As some added context the chart also shows the emissions intensity of a new baseload gas power plant and also the grid emissions intensity of electricity globally and in North America and Europe.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/feb/20/clean-coal-coalition-australia-emissions-worse-electricity