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submitted 10 months ago by lntl@lemmy.ml to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml

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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[-] RagnarokOnline@reddthat.com 193 points 10 months ago

I think this headline is misleading.

A better headline might read: “Coal found beneath wind farm. Turbines dismantled to make room for mining operation.”

[-] FuckyWucky@hexbear.net 115 points 10 months ago

i don't think that's any better

[-] RagnarokOnline@reddthat.com 40 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

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.

[-] commiewithoutorgans@hexbear.net 78 points 10 months ago

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)

[-] HughJanus@lemmy.ml 1 points 10 months ago

Well wind is abundant and you can get it most places. You can only get coal in places where there's coal.

[-] keepcarrot@hexbear.net 12 points 10 months ago
[-] RagnarokOnline@reddthat.com 5 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)
[-] keepcarrot@hexbear.net 11 points 10 months ago

Ah well, we know what you meant 👍

[-] youRFate@feddit.de 54 points 10 months ago

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

[-] KSPAtlas@sopuli.xyz 34 points 10 months ago

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

[-] youRFate@feddit.de 15 points 10 months 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.

[-] Schmuppes@lemmy.world 0 points 10 months ago

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

[-] SpacetimeMachine@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago

And thus, climate change.

[-] bouh@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago

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!

[-] jonne@infosec.pub 4 points 10 months 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.

[-] possum@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

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

this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2023
610 points (82.8% liked)

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