A sharp drop in carbon permit prices last week pushed lignite-fired power plants back into profitability for the first time since November, according to analysis from Energy Aspects Ltd. and the London Stock Exchange Group. The plants are now even cheaper to run than gas-fired generators, despite producing far higher carbon emissions.
Funny how something not being ‘profitable’ for six weeks becomes newsworthy once it returns to the black.
These coal plants are in their last few years of operation as a stopgap until enough renewable infrastructure is built to replace them. I prefer these things to be used for a bit longer than have more methane power plants constructed. Evidently Germany feels the same given the reduction of 20GW to 10GW capacity over the next six years.