@bobathon.bsky.social we both want India to stop building coal, I think the most important approach is to lower the price of renewables, but lowering the price of lower carbon alternatives is also good, especially if it’s faster
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Burning gas for electricity emits far less carbon per unit electricity produced than coal.
India is going to grow their electricity grid in whatever way is cheapest. Right now that means building some coal for in their mix. That’s bad, it’ll lock them in to burning coal longer.
If solar/batteries were cheaper up front, they’d build that. We should be doing what we can to push that price down. The IRA is going to help over the coming years as manufacturing comes online. But they’re building coal capacity right now
If natural gas was cheaper, they’d go with that instead, it’s a close replacement for coal, but it has another advantage: It’s much faster to turn on and off than coal.
This makes it a better complement for solar.
Energy grids locked into coal now are harder to convert later than gas
India needs electricity, not gas! Which of their complex cultural dreams means they build the most polluting source possible?
But your point about dependence is a good one, I appreciate that you’re finally somewhere in the vicinity of a discussion about trade-offs!
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All fossil fuel use and dependency needs to be reduced as quickly as possible. Not just coal. All of it.
You were using India as a way to argue for *increasing* gas production. It's completely backwards
India is going to grow their electricity grid in whatever way is cheapest. Right now that means building some coal for in their mix. That’s bad, it’ll lock them in to burning coal longer.
This makes it a better complement for solar.
Energy grids locked into coal now are harder to convert later than gas
India is a vast country with complex priorities and dreams, not an unthinking mass of capitalist climate negligence that needs your gas.
But your point about dependence is a good one, I appreciate that you’re finally somewhere in the vicinity of a discussion about trade-offs!