GreenGreed & CleanGrids 🍃
Dr. Anju Sharma | MrsSustainability | KtalystInsights
I was reading an engaging Bloomberg piece & hit like a plot twist: coal_based grid consumption in China & NamasteIndia is on a downward pivot. Not because coal suddenly became unpopular but because the grid is getting new muscles: more renewables, better dispatch, and harder economics.
Plot twist: “Green” has two meanings.
🟢 PlanetGreen = clean electrons
💵 DollarGreen = who pays + who profits
And the grid? TheGrid only respects24/7 electricity.
1) CoalGoal = “No Blackouts” Goal 🪨⚡
Coal isn’t the dream. Coal is the backup friend when solarghosts you at 7pm.
✓ Night-time demand + evening ramp
✓ Heatwaves + peak load panic
✓ Factory spikes + weekday surges
✓ Gas prices acting spicy
✗ Coal doesn’t “win” because it’s loved
✗ Coal wins when storage + transmission are late
2) Is fossil fuel getting retired?
Not fully. But the old privilege is.
✓ “Operate” now needs a plan: emissions + affordability + security
✓ Financing is harder for high-emission, high-cost assets
✗ The era of “Burn first, explain later” is fading
✗ Fossil is no longer default — it’s case-by-case
3) The uncomfortable globalmath 🌍
Coal is still mostly an Asia story.
✓ China + India ≈ ~70% of global coal use
✓ So global coal decline = Asia’s grid upgrade story
✗ Speeches don’t bend coal curves
✗ Only systems do: transmission, storage, flexible markets
4) YR2025 → YR2030: AIEeeks
Demand rises anyway (AC + EVs + industry). AI adds the “always-on” layer.
✓ Data centres = electricity gyms (always training, always hungry)
✓ Forecast: data-centre power use could ~double by 2030 (~945 TWh)
✗ This isn’t just “more electricity
✗ It’s more 24/7 electricity (firm power becomes valuable)
5) The real battle: Clean vs Chaos ⚡
Not green vs coal. It’s grid-ready vs grid-wishful.
✓ Renewables (cheap energy)
✓ Storage (night + peaks)
✓ Smart grids (less waste)
✓ Transmission (move power where needed)
✓ Some firm power (until storage scales)
✗ A “clean” grid that can’t survive 7pm
✗ A transition built on vibes, not infrastructure
If your ‘green’ can’t survive 7pm, it’s not a transition, it’s a mood.” Dr. Anju Sharma
Originally published on LinkedIn on 2026-01-29 11:05:47: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3AugcPost%3A7422595814646251520
