• sooper_dooper_roofer [none/use name]
    ·
    4 months ago

    Since the new plants are rarely used, it's actually more eco-friendly than having to vastly overprovision solar panels or batteries for the 99.99% power requirement, when the 95% or 90% power requirement is a fraction of that (and the footprint of the coal plant used to stretch to the maximum power requirement is vastly smaller than equivalent solar power).

    Where can I read more about this so that I can shut up the redditors

    • FunkyStuff [he/him]
      ·
      4 months ago

      https://chinadialogue.net/en/climate/chinas-five-year-plan-for-energy-one-eye-on-security-today-one-on-a-low-carbon-future/

      Wish I could read the actual 5 year plans cited in this article, but that's the best source I could find. Sadly, if you look up terms like "China coal backup" you get Reuters articles that fail to mention the fact the new coal power plants are only being opened for energy security, not for around-the-clock generation.