{"id":916,"date":"2016-03-23T13:21:00","date_gmt":"2016-03-23T01:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/new-zealand\/press-release\/coal-is-not-lol-10-reasons-to-shut-huntly-coal\/"},"modified":"2024-07-12T09:07:13","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T21:07:13","slug":"10-reasons-shut-huntly-coal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/10-reasons-shut-huntly-coal\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Reasons to ditch coal at Huntly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

New Zealand\u2019s last remaining coal fired power station, Huntly, was due to be shut in 2018. But after colluding with other power companies in closed-door meetings, Huntly\u2019s owner, Genesis Energy, is reconsidering those plans. We say that\u2019s a well bad idea: Genesis must get rid of this coal-belching dinosaur and #ShutHuntlyCoal.<\/p>\n\n

Update<\/strong>: Genesis has announced that it will keep the coal burners going until 2022.<\/p>\n\n

Head on over to the Genesis Energy facebook page<\/a> and let them know what you think.<\/p>\n\n

Here\u2019s 10 reasons to shut the Huntly coal burners …<\/p>\n\n

1. What the Pope said<\/strong> about coal<\/h2>\n\n

Coal is one of the worst carbon polluters. In June 2015, Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide, warned of \u201cunprecedented destruction of ecosystems\u201d and \u201cserious consequences for all of us\u201d if humanity fails to act on climate change. He later said that; \u201cClimate change is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation\u201d<\/a>. Currently, NZ is one of the worst emitters by population<\/a> in the world. High time to shut Huntly!<\/p>\n\n

2. Coal kills people<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Coal burning emits all sorts of nasties including heavy metals like Mercury, which end up on the land and in our bodies. These can make us sick, and are known for causing cancers. The particles from coal fired power stations also pollute the air and cause respiratory disease. There are compelling statistics<\/a> from the The American Lung Association and the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) stating that 13,000 people die each year from coal pollution, and it causes 20,000 heart attacks and over 200,000 asthma attacks in the US. Impacts are worse for the people living right alongside coal burners. We\u2019d all live healthier happier lives without Huntly.<\/p>\n\n

3. Coal is Inefficient<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Despite what Big Industry might have you believe, as well as being dirty, coal is actually as inefficient as it gets when it comes to creating energy. In 2013, coal produced just 3% of New Zealand\u2019s electricity but accounted for a shocking 28% of the industry\u2019s CO2 pollution.<\/a> That\u2019s plain nasty!<\/p>\n\n

4. Coal blocks climate action<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Huntly staying open blocks the construction of new wind and other renewable energy projects in the near future. Not only are these way more modern and stylish, but they also help to combat climate change and urgently cool the planet to safe levels. 2015 was the hottest year on record<\/a> and it’s going to keep getting worse<\/a> (at a scary rate) unless we shut old coal dinosaurs like Huntly.<\/p>\n\n

5. Coal is expensive<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
*These costs are from analysis in the USA. New Zealand figures are not publically available and will differ slightly because of the scale of geothermal here and the need to ship wind parts from overseas. Citation: Median cost of electricity (per MWh) of Wind is $38.50, for Geothermal, $58.5 and Coal is $75.00USD<\/a><\/em><\/h6>\n\n

Coal doesn\u2019t only cost us when it comes to our health and the climate, but it\u2019s also more expensive for electricity users. Wind, for example, only costs about* $38.50 per MWh compared to coal\u2019s $75.00MWh – one reason for this is that the wind itself is free once you\u2019ve built the wind farm. This is all clear evidence that clean energy is cheaper in the long run, and we do not need Huntly.<\/p>\n\n

6. Huntly keeps Auckland’s electricity dirty<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Did you know that Auckland gets the majority of its electricity from gas and coal?! Shocking isn\u2019t it! Far from being clean and green and renewable, only a fraction of our beloved national metropolis\u2019 power comes from clean energy. Huntly is a big part to blame for that. If Aucklanders want a future with snazzy electric cars and oh-so-shiny electric trains, they\u2019d better get some clean juice to fill them, right?! Turning the lights out at Huntly would go a long way to cleaning up Auckland.<\/p>\n\n

*Citation: \u201cLow Carbon Auckland\u201d March 2014 Auckland council p33<\/em><\/h6>\n\n

7. Coal is bad for workers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

In Indonesia, where a proportion of Huntly\u2019s coal has comes from, there are appalling safety standards in much of the mining industry and terrible health outcomes for mine workers. In 2009, 32 miners were killed in an Indonesian coal mine blast<\/a>. If we free ourselves from this dirty fuel we also stop being complicit in the human harm caused by this inherently unsafe and unnecessary industry. We are in full support of a just transition for workers and communities to clean energy jobs.<\/p>\n\n

8. Huntly increases the risk of the lights going off<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Contrary to energy industry propaganda, Huntly actually reduces our energy security because it is a major single point of failure<\/p>\n\n