Solar generation beats coal in the US for the first time ever

[Endymio]

Coal plants being used as peaker plants is not true. Coal plants needed as peakers are being replaced by gas powered plants for the same role...

Yes, coal plants are being used for peak power demand:

"Coal plants are increasingly operating as cyclical or load-following generation units, as the power market becomes more saturated with intermittent resources...."

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/coal-plants-increasingly-operate-as-cyclical-load-following-power-leading/571245/

The problem with this is it drastically cuts the efficiency of the plant, requiring more coal (and emissions) per unit power, as well as placing more stress and maintenance requirements on the plant itself. You're right that NG plants are (very, very slowly) replacing coal in the West ... but China is building dozens of new coal-fired plants.

 

[Aranarth]

Yes, coal plants are being used for peak power demand:

"Coal plants are increasingly operating as cyclical or load-following generation units, as the power market becomes more saturated with intermittent resources...."

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/coal-plants-increasingly-operate-as-cyclical-load-following-power-leading/571245/

The problem with this is it drastically cuts the efficiency of the plant, requiring more coal (and emissions) per unit power, as well as placing more stress and maintenance requirements on the plant itself. You're right that NG plants are (very, very slowly) replacing coal in the West ... but China is building dozens of new coal-fired plants.

Sorry I missed adding the NEW as in new coal plants are being built. Which is simply not true specifically in the the north america nor in europe. China might be building them but these are probably old plans not new ones. China is putting up more solar power than just about anyone right now, and are building the needed batteries to store excess energy produced during the day for use at night. The US should be doing the same investment and mostly is no matter what TACO wants it to be.

 

[Endymio]

China is putting up more solar power than just about anyone right now

China gets most of its electricity from coal, and the amount of power they generate from coal continues to increase every year:

...and are building the needed batteries to store excess energy produced during the day for use at night. The US should be doing the same investment ...

Not even remotely correct. As of today, China has enough battery storage to run the country for all of 7 minutes. Nights in China average nearly 15 hours in winter, and when one accounts for rainy/overcast days that provide little to no sunlight, China would need approximately 300-400X the battery storage it has today.

That can theoretically be built, but per-unit energy supplied, batteries are by far the most expensive source, and such a buildout would cause Chinese electricity rates to rise by more than 1000%. China isn't building these batteries to replace other sources; they building them to load-level to the point their coal and nuke plants can perform load-following.

 

[Lounds]

For every poo-pooing the idea of renewables, or suggesting that coal is being used as peaker plants. etc. note that batteries are being deployed. Batteries work better than gas fired plants. Coal plants being used as peaker plants is not true. Coal plants needed as peakers are being replaced by gas powered plants for the same role. I would highly recommend taking some time to really research what is going on. Green energy is the future. coal is done.

Replacing the coal station is a bad idea. I look at the UK and it gave away it's energy security by replacing the coal station sites with Gas turbines.