Comments by "" (@pwillis1589) on "We'll be using coal for a 'long time': Richardson" video.

Australia has not banned coal at all, in fact coal is responsible for approximately 60% of Australia’s power production. Where do you get this rubbish from?
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@lissyflur1907 Nobody is banning coal in Australia. We are swimming in it.
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@lissyflur1907 There are a multitude of other means to create electricity other than burning coal.
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@Motumatai3 You question is disingenuous at best and shows a lack of understanding and knowledge of how electricity is produced and delivered. Virtually all LCOE and LCOS studies show renewable energies are significantly cheaper than fossil fuels to produce electricity. Capacity is a different matter and can be solved through technology and other means such as extra capacity well above demand, which is not unlike how the market works now anyway. Read a bit more widely and learn.
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@Johnsmith-zi9pu Your comment contains several misconceptions and inaccuracies. Not only does China buy our coal but many countries do. The main reason is because its cheap and our black coal is relatively energy efficient. The reason it is cheap is the infrastructure to produce it (rail, road, coal loading, port facilities) was paid for with tax payers money. I agree with you it is unfortunate that China has almost cornered the market for solar panels, however there is only one other country in the world that leads China in uptake and capacity of solar power and that is the US. Next the recycling concern of yours, virtually 100% of a solar panel and a wind turbine is recyclable and there a privately owned companies both here and the US making money doing exactly that. As to your concern about capacity and dispatchability, with technology and storage these issue are currently being addressed. So there you have nothing to be frightened of.
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@Johnsmith-zi9pu I never suggested renewables were not subsidised, however all LCOE and LCOS studies have wind and solar significantly cheaper than coal subsidised or not. Once again China is constructing renewable capacity only slightly less than the US. Renewable electricity capacity is increasing worldwide in all markets and coal is decreasing, particularly in the US. Your data for renewable energy is hopelessly wrong. What you read was it has increased 2% in the last year. Renewables worldwide account now for approximately 29%.
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