US coal-fired power generation is expected to increase for the first time in 7 years Climate change policy challenges

In the United States, coal-fired power generation is expected to increase for the first time in seven years compared to the previous year, which is a difficult task for the Biden administration, which is advancing climate change countermeasures.

The US government agency, the Energy Information Bureau, has indicated that the amount of domestic coal-fired power generation in a year will increase by 22% from last year, and will start to increase for the first time in seven years.

In addition to the increase in electricity demand due to the resumption of economic activity from the Corona disaster, the reason is that electric power companies have increased the use of cheap coal due to the soaring price of natural gas used for power generation. ..

In South West Virginia, one of the nation's leading coal producers, power companies are moving to extend the operation of coal-fired power plants, which were planned to be abolished in anticipation of future tightening of regulations.

The Biden administration has positioned climate change countermeasures as a major policy issue and has set a policy of reducing dependence on coal and oil, but it has been faced with difficult issues.

This year, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change Countermeasures "COP26" was held, and it was agreed to work on the gradual reduction of coal-fired power generation.

However, the IEA = International Energy Agency has indicated that the use of coal-fired power is increasing in China and India, and that the world's total coal-fired power generation will reach a record high, calling on each country to take measures. increase.

Expert "Need to proceed step by step"

Michael Therer of the American Consumer Energy Federation, who is familiar with energy and environmental policy issues, said, "In some parts of the world, for the foreseeable future, we will be able to provide electricity that meets people's lives without using coal. It is better to use less power than to continue to use power that emits more carbon, but that policy shift will also need to be phased out. "