Germany Announces Largest New-Build Program For Hard Coal Stations Since 1998; Ten New Plants Coming On Line Over The Next Two Years

Earlier I posted this update at "coal central" (note the date: a reader sent me the article today; I had missed it back in October):

October 14, 2013: coal will surpass oil as the key transportation fuel by 2020 -- Mail OnLine.

Coal will become more in demand than oil by 2020 driven by growth in China and India, despite campaigns to reduce carbon emissions across the globe, a new report reveals.

Marking a return to an era reminiscent of Britain's industrial revolution, the rapidly expanding economies in the East are turning to coal since it is cheaper and more reliable than oil or renewable energy sources, energy consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie said on Monday.

Rising demand in China and India will push coal past oil as the two Asian powerhouses will need to rely on the comparatively cheaper fuel to power their economies.

Coal demand in the United States, Europe and the rest of Asia will hold steady.'China's demand for coal will almost single-handedly propel the growth of coal as the dominant global fuel,' said William Durbin, president of global markets at Woodmac.

'Unlike alternatives, it is plentiful and affordable.' China - already the top consumer - will drive two-thirds of the growth in global coal use this decade. Half of China's power generation capacity to be built between 2012 and 2020 will be coal-fired, said Woodmac.

So, that was posted earlier this morning.

Now, Don sends me a story that could be interpreted at least two different ways:

• Germany is blowing off concerns about global warming
• Woodmac saw this coming

The story, being reported by Bloomberg:

Germany, Europe’s biggest energy market, is in its largest new-build program for hard coal stations since 1998. Ten new plants with a combined capacity of 7,985 megawatts are scheduled to start producing in the next two years, according to information from German grid regulator Bundesnetzagentur and operators.