How Coal Industry May Be Able to Build a ‘Green’ Public Image by Stressing New Ties to Wind Power
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
Nuclear power is back in favor because its advocates succeeded in changing the public’s perception of nuclear from a “dangerous” power source to a “green” power source that produces emissions-free electricity.
Now coal has a chance to do the same, thanks to an ingenious new idea from UK Coal and its 28% owner, Peel Energy, which just announced a plan to transform 14 former coal mine sites in Britain into renewable power plants where 54 wind turbines will generate a total of 133 megawatts of green power.
The genius of the nuclear industry’s strategy was that, by emphasizing that nuclear power is emissions-free, it was able to get the public to forget nuclear’s other serious safety and environmental issues, all of which still exist. Thus might the coal industry – through a series of Disney-esque TV ads – convince the public that the coal industry is actually green because coal mines are really wind power sites in disguise.
Sure it’s a stretch. But when you’ve got as “dirty” a reputation as coal does, anything you can do to try to convince the public you really are “clean” can be worth a fortune in avoided environmental regulations.
Early indications suggest that the millions of dollars the coal industry would spend to adopt UK Coal’s strategy could pay billions in dividends. When the deep green web site Earth2-Tech reported on UK Coal’s transaction, there was no cynicism. Rather, the site appeared almost opened-minded to the concept, reporting simply: “Coal mines are the last thing that comes to mind when thinking about renewable energy, but a new partnership between UK Coal and Peel Group, a UK company, plans to turn . . . .”
If every environmental web site treats the UK Coal plan this way, the coal industry will be well on its way to transforming itself into the next “clean” energy source, notwithstanding all the dirty stuff it doesn’t want discussed in public.
Point worth noting: when UK Coal and Peel Energy announced their plan, shares of London-traded UK Coal immediately rose 10% in active trading on the London Stock Exchange.
