ENVISIONING THE END OF COAL

What would an Australia without coal look like?

- Anne-Frances Hutchinson

“This country is blessed with a range of potential renewable options. We’re one of the driest continents on earth, we also have very high levels of sunlight, high wind conditions, so we can prosper in a low carbon economy,” former energy exec Ian Dunlop recently told WBUR radio in Boston. “But make no mistake; there’s going to be a cost to this. It’s not just going to happen easily. It is going to have an impact on economies all around the world. But the costs of doing nothing are far greater, as we are starting to see in Australia because of the impact on the economy of what’s now happening … is enormous.”

When a former chair of the Australian Coal Association makes this kind of a declaration, it’s time to look beyond the deeply fractured (and fractious) national climate change debate and consider what a future without coal could bring.

Economic Impact

As electricity producers continue to embrace cheaper renewable energy options, the economics of keeping coal plants operational are becoming less and less attractive. While thermal coal export volumes have grown to roughly US$47 billion, significant uncertainties loom: Issues of cost competitiveness compared to renewable sources, local community concerns about air pollution, and global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are creating an increasingly unhealthy climate for coal producers.