Amazing what a strong market signal can do

India increasing domestic coal production, cuts environmental green tape

India needs a billion tons of coal a year, and digs up about 770 million tons. Suddenly the plan is to increase that to 1.2 billion tons "in the next two years" and if that means opening 100 old mines and throwing away the green tape, so be it.

Phys-Org

Soaring temperatures have prompted higher energy demand in recent weeks and left India facing a 25-million-tonne shortfall…

The government hopes to woo private mining giants—like Vedanta and Adani—to revive more than 100 dormant coal mines previously deemed too expensive to operate, using new technology and fresh capital.  …the Environment Ministry said it has allowed a "special dispensation" to the Ministry of Coal to relax certain requirements—like public consultations—so mines could operate at increased capacities. Coal mining projects previously cleared to operate at 40-percent capacity may now increase capacity to 50 percent without undertaking fresh environment impact studies, the authority said.

At least 18 coal plants are not even operating because they can't get enough coal