The World Just Can’t Seem to Quit Coal

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THE TOP FIVE

1. Federal land emissions are falling

Greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. federal lands peaked in 2009 and have been mostly falling ever since, according to a report from the U.S. Geological Survey. Federal lands make up nearly 30% of all the nation’s land. In 2009, annual emissions from fossil fuel extraction and use on these lands reached 1,430.9 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, but had fallen to 1,118.9 million metric tons in 2022. Emissions saw a particularly steep drop in 2020, likely linked to the pandemic, and have been rising, but it’s not clear if the upward trend will continue. Wyoming is a major emitter: Its federal land CO2 emissions in 2022 made up 41% of the national total.

USGS

The same report also found that natural ecosystems (like soil, vegetation, and deadwood) on federal lands are offsetting just 1.4% of the annual emissions, and that “climate conditions” like drought and wildfire have “resulted in a decline in the sink strength of ecosystems on federal lands.” For context, total greenhouse gas emissions for the U.S. have been falling – in 2022 they were down 3% from 1990 levels. Carbon dioxide emissions from federal lands make up about 22% of the U.S. total.

2. DOE finalizes $7.54 billion loan for Indiana EV battery plants

The Department of Energy’s Loan Program Office closed a loan yesterday to fund EV battery plants in Kokomo, Indiana. The $7.54 billion goes to StarPlus Energy – a joint venture between Samsung and Stellantis – and was approved as a conditional loan in early December. At the time it wasn’t clear whether the LPO would be able to finalize it before the Trump administration takes over. The DOE estimates the Indiana projects will create 3,200 construction jobs and 2,800 operations jobs, and the finished plants will produce 67 GWh of batteries, “enough to supply approximately 670,000 vehicles annually.”

DOE/LPO

3. DOE publishes long-awaited LNG study

The Department of Energy on Tuesday published the results of its analysis of the economic and environmental implications of expanding U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas. Among its key findings:

• LNG projects that have already been approved are likely to produce more than enough natural gas to meet global demand. New facilities that are under construction will nearly double exports by 2030, and exports could double again after that if all the facilities that have been approved, but have not yet reached a final investment decision, end up getting built.
• Demand for U.S. LNG has flattened in Europe and peaked in Japan, while South Korea’s demand is expected to plateau by 2030. China will be the largest LNG importer through 2050.
• While new LNG terminals will create jobs and revenues, increased exports could also raise wholesale domestic natural gas prices by more than 30% by 2050.
• In all five scenarios the DOE studied, U.S. LNG exports would increase global net emissions.

The main takeaway, according to an accompanying letter penned by the Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, is that “a business-as-usual approach is neither sustainable nor advisable.” In a call on Tuesday, Granholm acknowledged that the future is in the next administration’s hands. “We hope that they’ll take these facts into account to determine whether additional LNG exports are truly in the best interest of the American people and economy,” she said.

4. IEA: Coal demand to hit a new high

Global coal demand is set to rise to a new record this year and remain steady through 2027, according to the International Energy Agency. While the rapid rollout of renewables is encroaching on coal’s “century-long supremacy in electricity generation,” soaring power demand is counterbalancing this trend and giving coal a boost, the IEA said in its Coal 2024 report. The future of coal will depend largely on what happens in China, the largest consumer of the world’s dirtiest fuel. This year China, India, and countries in Southeast Asia are projected to account for 75% of global coal demand.

IEA

5. Scientists urge holistic thinking to solve interlinked global problems

A new analysis from hundreds of researchers across the world recommends that we stop treating our most pressing global problems as being separate from one another, and instead acknowledge they’re all connected. Solving them will require a holistic approach. Climate change, biodiversity loss, water shortages, food insecurity, and health risks are all interlinked, the assessment says, and decisions to address these challenges should be coordinated to “maximize synergies and minimize trade-offs.” Right now, humanity is looking at these issues in isolation, “resulting in potential misalignment, unplanned trade-offs, and/or unintended consequences.”

Last month some of the leading voices on global climate science and policy penned an open letter calling for negotiators at future COP climate summits to consider the interconnected issues of nature loss, inequality, and poverty to ensure meaningful solutions. The new report was published by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

THE KICKER

Virginia will become home to the world’s first commercial fusion power plant. The facility will be operated by Commonwealth Fusion Systems, and is expected to produce enough energy to power about 150,000 homes sometime in the early 2030s.