Too Long; Didn't Read
Even in eco-friendly Europe coal-fired electricity generation increased 18% last year from 2020 to 579 TWh, interrupting a trend of decline since 2012. According to some estimates, if high gas prices continue or the Russia-Ukraine conflict reduces gas-fired generation, coal generation could expand 11% to 641 TWh in 2022. Even the EU climate chief Frans Timmermans acknowledged that some coal plants might need to stay online longer than anticipated to address the continent’s energy crunch.