Photo: Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/The Guardian
Researchers from Global Energy Monitor identified 312 surface coalmines closed since 2020 around the world, and 134 likely to close by the end of the decade, that could be filled with solar panels and developed into energy plants. While globally, the total installed photovoltaic capacity late last year surpassed 2TW (terawatts), the need for space to lay out sufficient solar panels has led to land use conflicts. Using mined-out lands could be a partial solution to such conflicts, GEM says, with 96% of recently abandoned mines less than 10km from an electricity grid. GEM estimates that 259,700 permanent jobs in manufacturing, wholesale trade and distribution, and professional services could be created at coal-to-solar transition sites, and an additional 317,500 temporary and construction jobs – together, more than the number of workers the coal industry will shed by 2035.
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