Articles of...

Articles of Interest.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-08/china-india-lack-water-for-coal-plant-plans-ge-director-says.html

“China’s coal demand will increase 70 percent to 3.71 billion metric tons coal equivalent by 2035 from 2009, under the country’s energy policy, while India’s demand will increase 188 percent to 1.15 billion tons equivalent over that time, according to the International Energy Agency’s World Energy (MERENER)Outlook for 2011.”



http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/07/31/613161/massive-blackout-leaves-620-million-indians-without-power-demonstrating-dangers-of-relying-on-outdated-coal-system/?mobile=nc

“Some analysts said public outrage over the widespread outages may force Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government to tackle reforms in the crisis-riddled power sector. Fuel shortages are crippling coal and gas-fired plants, forcing them to run below capacity or shut down for long stretches; state utilities have billions of dollars of accumulated losses; and, as has been on stark display, the nation’s creaky grid needs upgrading.
“Unless this government wants to commit political suicide, there’s no way they can ignore this,” said Abhey Yograj, managing director of Tecnova, a consulting firm that advises foreign companies on India.”



http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2012/07/120724-coal-power-costs-in-india/

“Along India's narrow coastal belt of Mundra in Gujarat State, 500 miles (805 kilometers) northwest of Mumbai, several coal-fired power plants generate electricity so cheaply that authorities for the most part have overlooked damage to fishing and grazing, and harm to the vulnerable mangrove ecosystem.
It is here that Tata, India's giant conglomerate and largest private electric utility, has been building what it hopes will be one of the largest coal power plants in the world, the 4,000-megawatt Tata Mundra. It is one of nine such "ultra-mega" plants being built across India.”

“Coal provides roughly 70 percent of India's electricity, and the government's most recent plan called for coal to provide for 75 percent of newly installed capacity. Most projections were that the fast-growing nation would rely heavily on the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel in the future, because its reserves were so large.
India, which has a population of 1.2 billion, the second largest in the world, has an electricity-supply shortfall of about 15 percent during peak demand hours. Per capita consumption is low but soaring. The country's 2003 electricity act mandates power for all, but the United Nations estimates 400 million of India's citizens are still without access to an electric grid.”

“Coal India, which is responsible for about 80 percent of the country's coal production, has been criticized for insufficient production to meet demand, as well as for mismanaging the country's resources.



http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/new-coal-plants-china-india-built-under-un-clean-development-mechanism.htm

“Here's some confidence-building news from the already-criticized world of carbon offsets: through the UN, rich countries are about to fund 20 new coal-fired power plants in China and India—and if the applications are approved, the UN's Clean Development Mechanism will become one of the largest funders of new coal power plants.
The Guardian has the story and explains it all, but the justification is that the new plants would be more "efficient" than older ones, and would be paid for by carbon offsets that British and European companies bought instead of cutting their own emissions.”


Food for thought.