As coal declines, solar offers possible path for reclaiming old mining sites

Energy News Network: As U.S. coal consumption continues to decline, there’s slowly growing acceptance that more mine closures are inevitable and that the system meant to help clean up and repurpose the sites is underfunded.

One ray of hope for reclaiming the sites: renewable energy.

Patrick Molloy, an associate at Rocky Mountain Institute’s Sunshine for Mines program, said there has been more talk than action in covering disused mine waste piles with solar arrays or other forms of renewable energy generation. He said only two such sites are currently operating in the U.S.

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