Coal Ahead. The Framing of the Future of Coal in the Czech Republic

Yearly coal production of more than 32 million tons ranks the Czech Republic among three largest coal producing countries in Europe. Coal covers approximately 40% of the country’s total primary energy consumption and coal-fired power plants generate 55% of its electricity. Despite the growing pressure on decarbonization, which comes from the international community, EU and domestic non-governmental sector, the country’s energy decision-makers are not keen to make rapid changes and remain reluctant to phasing coal out altogether. The roots of their position are often traced to the role coal plays in the country’s energy system (Rečka & Ščasný, 2016); to the socio-economic dynamics in its coal-producing regions and, also, to the perceptions of the role of coal in the nation’s energy system, national economy and national story-telling (Frantál, 2016). These “ideational” factors are the primary focus of the paper. Building on Rosenbloom (2017) and Benford & Snow (2000), who argue that discursive practices have implications for future choices about energy policy and planning and limit the number of “reasonable” solutions to policy problems, the article investigates the coal discourse in the country. More specifically, it seeks to find out how is the future of coal framed in major Czech newspapers - what story lines are being presented? Which energy policy issues are being highlighted and which overlooked? How far into the future does the media discourse look? By providing a deeper insight into the country's coal discourse, the article seeks to foster our understanding of the choices that are being made and the pathways that are being considered in governing this critically important industry.