this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2023
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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 1 year ago (5 children)

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 1 year ago (1 children)

i don't think that's any better

[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

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 1 year ago (1 children)

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 1 year 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 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

Ah well, we know what you meant 👍

[–] [email protected] 54 points 1 year ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 year ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year 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 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

And thus, climate change.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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 1 year 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 1 year ago

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