As clean energy continues to rise in Germany, the country’s massive coal plants are becoming increasingly idle. But instead of letting those coal plants sit there and rot, Germany wants to refashion the plants as giant batteries for storing wind and solar power. Germany aims to phase out coal completely by 2038, yet it also recognizes that the coal plants and mining operations support thousands of jobs around Germany. So to ensure a smooth transition to a clean-energy economy for traditional coal areas, the government wants to turn the coal plants into innovative, long-term power plants that store surplus wind and solar power during the mid-2020s. Although no particular storing technology has been singled out, the plan does include employing former coal workers to be a part of the transition.
Germany fancies turning coal plants into giant batteries that store clean energy
More of Today's Solutions
Why turning support into action matters on International Women’s Day
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM International Women’s Day arrives each year with a familiar mix of brightness and gravity. On March 8, communities ...
Read MoreDaylight saving time and kids: how to help babies and toddlers adjust without...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every spring, clocks jump forward by an hour and parents everywhere brace for impact. Daylight saving time has ...
Read MoreTel-Aviv could soon follow Amsterdam in adopting Doughnut Economics
In April 2020, we wrote about Amsterdam’s decision to implement a new economic model that seeks to meet the core needs of all humanity ...
Read MoreLargest number of fin whales seen feeding together in over 50 years
Fin whales are the second-largest in the world, growing up to 85 feet (26 m) long and 160,000 pounds (72.3 metric tons). In 1976, ...
Read More
