Dustup over clean coal
South African public utility company Eskom said it would boost its prices by more than 75 percent and look to the World Bank for US $3.75 billion in loans to build a new coalfired power plant to feed a growing economy. The move puts opponents and advocates at odds, the UNs humanitarian news agency IRIN reports.
The World Bank points to green incentives in the package and the employment of socalled clean coal as a reason to move forward with the plan.
The World Bank loan includes funding for wind and solarenergy projects. While carbonbased energy projects may not provide longterm environmental benefits, Mike Kantey, a development expert at the Coalition Against Nuclear Energy, argues coal may be the cheapest pragmatic shortterm solution to the problem.
U.S. lawmakers complained, however, that the new 4,800megawatt plant will be a significant source of carbon emissions from South Africa.
Related News

Hydro-Quebec begins talks for $185-billion strategy to wean the province off fossil fuels
MONTREAL - Hydro-Québec is in the preliminary stages of dialogue with various financiers and potential collaborators to strategize the implementation of a $185-billion initiative aimed at transitioning Quebec away from fossil fuel dependency.
As the leading hydroelectric power producer in Canada, Hydro-Québec is set to allocate up to $110 billion by 2035 towards the development of new clean energy facilities, with an additional $50 billion dedicated to enhancing the resilience of its power grid, as revealed in a strategy announced last November. The remainder of the projected expenditure will cover operational costs.
This ambitious initiative has garnered significant interest from the financial…