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In energy-strapped Europe, coal gets an encore

Greece's largest coal mine sits outside the northern city of Kozani on Thursday, June 2, 2022. Energy market turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine has triggered an increase in coal-fired electricity production in the European Union and a temporary slowdown in the closure of power plants long-earmarked for retirement. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) A worker at Public Power Company (PPC) walks inside a power plant outside the northern city of Kozani on Friday, June 3, 2022. Energy market turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine has triggered an increase in coal-fired electricity production in the European Union and a temporary slowdown in the closure of power plants long-earmarked for retirement. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Giorgos Papadopoulos, supervisor at Public Power Company (PPC), stands near a coal excavator at Greece's largest mine outside the northern city of Kozani on Thursday, June 2, 2022. Energy market turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine has triggered an increase in coal-fired electricity production in the European Union and a temporary slowdown in the closure of power plants long-earmarked for retirement. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Heavy machines operate at Greece's largest mine outside the northern city of Kozani on Thursday, June 2, 2022. Energy market turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine has triggered an increase in coal-fired electricity production in the European Union and a temporary slowdown in the closure of power plants long-earmarked for retirement. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) A worker sits, left, as another walks on a Public Power Company (PPC) coal excavator at Greece's largest mine outside the northern city of Kozani on Thursday, June 2, 2022. Energy market turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine has triggered an increase in coal-fired electricity production in the European Union and a temporary slowdown in the closure of power plants long-earmarked for retirement. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Vapor emerges from a cooling tower at the Agios Dimitrios power plant outside the northern city of Kozani on Friday, June 3, 2022. Energy market turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine has triggered an increase in coal-fired electricity production in the European Union and a temporary slowdown in the closure of power plants long-earmarked for retirement. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) A maintenance engineer walks at a new solar park outside the northern Greek city of Kozani on Friday, June 3, 2022. The newly-completed solar park, one of Europe's largest, is just a half-hour drive from the country's biggest open-face lignite mine. While inaugurating the new solar facility, Greece's prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced a 50% hike in lignite production through 2024 to build up reserves. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Maintenance engineers check installations at a new solar park outside the northern Greek city of Kozani on Friday, June 3, 2022. The park, one of Europe's largest, is just a half-hour drive from the country's biggest open-face lignite mine. While inaugurating the new solar facility, Greece's prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced a 50% hike in lignite production through 2024 to build up reserves. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) A part of a new solar park sits outside the northern Greek city of Kozani on Friday, June 3, 2022. The park, one of Europe's largest, is just a half-hour drive from the country's biggest open-face lignite mine. While inaugurating the new solar facility, Greece's prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced a 50% hike in lignite production through 2024 to build up reserves. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Maintenance engineers check installations at a new solar park outside the northern Greek city of Kozani on Friday, June 3, 2022. The park, one of Europe's largest, is just a half-hour drive from the country's biggest open-face lignite mine. While inaugurating the new solar facility, Greece's prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced a 50% hike in lignite production through 2024 to build up reserves. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) A worker at Public Power Company (PPC) stands at a coal excavator at Greece's largest mine outside the northern city of Kozani on Thursday, June 2, 2022. Energy market turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine has triggered an increase in coal-fired electricity production in the European Union and a temporary slowdown in the closure of power plants long-earmarked for retirement. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Giorgos Papadopoulos, supervisor at Public Power Company (PPC), stands near a coal excavator at Greece's largest mine outside the northern city of Kozani on Thursday, June 2, 2022. Energy market turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine has triggered an increase in coal-fired electricity production in the European Union and a temporary slowdown in the closure of power plants long-earmarked for retirement. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) A worker of Public Power Company (PPC) walks at the power plant outside the northern city of Kozani on Friday, June 3, 2022. Energy market turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine has triggered an increase in coal-fired electricity production in the European Union and a temporary slowdown in the closure of power plants long-earmarked for retirement. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Notes hang at the control room of a power plant outside the northern city of Kozani on Friday, June 3, 2022. Energy market turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine has triggered an increase in coal-fired electricity production in the European Union and a temporary slowdown in the closure of power plants long-earmarked for retirement. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) A worker at Public Power Company (PPC) presses a button at the control room of the plant outside the northern city of Kozani on Friday, June 3, 2022. Energy market turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine has triggered an increase in coal-fired electricity production in the European Union and a temporary slowdown in the closure of power plants long-earmarked for retirement. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Workers at Public Power Company (PPC) operate at the control room of the plant outside the northern city of Kozani on Friday, June 3, 2022. Energy market turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine has triggered an increase in coal-fired electricity production in the European Union and a temporary slowdown in the closure of power plants long-earmarked for retirement. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Steam rises from a cooling tower at the Agios Dimitrios power plant of Public Power Company (PPC) outside the northern city of Kozani on Friday, June 3, 2022. The phrase "Go Solar" was written years ago by Greenpeace activists. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) A coal excavator sits at Greece's largest mine outside the northern city of Kozani on Thursday, June 2, 2022. Energy market turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine has triggered an increase in coal-fired electricity production in the European Union and a temporary slowdown in the closure of power plants long-earmarked for retirement. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
In energy-strapped Europe, coal gets an encore