Misplaced Praise – How Kosovo Took a Step in the Wrong Direction

The U.S. government recently congratulated the government of Kosovo for signing a contract with American multi-national corporation Contour Global to build a new 500 MW coal-fired power plant. Kosovo highlights the potential of this plant to relieve a long history of energy insecurity, and provide for better health and economic prosperity. However, ERG Chair Dan Kammen and PhD student Noah Kittner’s research points to a different conclusion.

“Our electricity options study shows that an integrated package of investments in energy efficiency and renewable electricity – including solar, wind, and small-scale sustainable hydropower – could provide the same amount of electricity as a 500 MW coal-fired power plant at a lower cost. More importantly, an integrated energy system will create more jobs and reduce the financial risk across a larger number of projects.”

Read the rest of the article here, and look into Noah Kittner and Dan Kammen’s research on Sustainable Energy for Kosovo and Southeast Europe.

Photo: A lignite power plant near Obilic, Kosovo. Image from Lograsset/Wikimedia Commons.