Former coal mining giant flips the script on its unused land with 'exciting' new partnership: 'This is great to see'
Coal mining operations take up a lot of space. Even if they are taken out of commission, they still lie there, dormant.
Peabody is looking to change that. The coal giant is repurposing parts of its former mining land in the American Midwest with solar projects through a partnership with leading clean energy company RWE, according to Electrek.
Ten projects, spread across Indiana and Illinois, will together generate 5.5 gigawatts of energy, which is no joke. That amount of power could electrify 850,000 homes if all goes according to plan, Electrek reported.
For Peabody, once the largest private coal company in the world, the initiative is a chance to gain momentum in the clean energy space and make use of its mining sites.
Producing coal also creates a heck of a lot of pollution and is a major contributor to the dangerous overheating of the planet. Solar, on the other hand, gets its power straight from the sun with no mining needed. It's also one of the best ways to save money on electric bills for consumers, businesses, and cities alike.
Plus, building the projects on former coal sites means the local benefits of solar energy — construction and engineering jobs, economic investment, and lower utility bills — go toward the communities that once benefited from coal production.
Andrew Flanagan, CEO of RWE Clean Energy, said the partnership with Peabody marked "an exciting opportunity to invest in rural regions of Indiana and Illinois," according to Electrek.
The way the deal works is that Germany-based RWE is buying a majority share of a solar company founded by Peabody called R3 Renewables. Peabody will keep a 25% share and handle three of the projects, while RWE will take the other seven, Electrek explained.
Electrek readers agreed that the move is a win for coal country and the planet, too.
Will America someday get all its energy from renewable sources?
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Yes — by 2050
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"Times, they are, a cha-a-a-ngin'," one wrote, quoting the early Bob Dylan song.
"This is great to see," another added. "Something measured in GW is something to really pay attention to."
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