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submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

German energy giant RWE has begun dismantling a wind farm to make way for a further expansion of an open-pit lignite coal mine in the western region of North Rhine Westphalia.

I thought renewables were cheaper than coal. How is this possible?

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[-] [email protected] 192 points 2 years ago

I think this headline is misleading.

A better headline might read: “Coal found beneath wind farm. Turbines dismantled to make room for mining operation.”

[-] [email protected] 115 points 2 years ago

i don't think that's any better

[-] [email protected] 40 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I originally read it as “Germany says ‘Fuck wind as an alternative energy source’ and begins reverting back to coal”, so I figured I’d clarify in case anyone end thought the same thing.

Doesn’t seem like this article indicates that Germans is giving up on alternative energy.

Edit: corrected dumb spelling mistake.

[-] [email protected] 78 points 2 years ago

No but it does clearly show prioritization when the 2 conflict, which is the point of contention (as well as using coal at all, if you give a shit about our planetary environment)

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

Well wind is abundant and you can get it most places. You can only get coal in places where there's coal.

[-] [email protected] 12 points 2 years ago
[-] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)
[-] [email protected] 11 points 2 years ago

Ah well, we know what you meant 👍

[-] [email protected] 54 points 2 years ago

Still, its lignite, they should cease all mining operations.

[-] [email protected] 34 points 2 years ago

Lignite is the worst coal, most polluting and least energy dense afaik, why would you bother mining it

[-] [email protected] 15 points 2 years ago

Because they get subsidies from the govt bc they employ a whole region and are a super big energy company. They need to be dismantled.

[-] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago

Because it's there and you want a steady supply of cheap electricity, that's why.

[-] [email protected] 9 points 2 years ago

And thus, climate change.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago

Shouldn't they build a new wind farm though? Why aren't the eco fanatics protesting against this infamy?

They are litteraly replacing a wind farm with a coal mine!

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

If the turbines are still good, they can just be moved, although it looks like they're EOL anyway, so I'm guessing they'll just be scrapped.

Won't make a huge difference to the general trend in the German energy mix, which is towards more renewables + importing French nuclear energy.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

I.. I dont think that really helped make the title misleading

this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2023
611 points (82.8% liked)

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