United States joins global effort to phase out coal power plants by 2035
Date
12/3/2023 7:40:45 AM
(MENAFN) In a significant step toward combatting global warming, the United States formally committed on Saturday to the mission of gradually eliminating coal-fired power plants. Joining forces with 56 other nations, U.S. Special Envoy John Kerry announced that the Biden Administration would become part of the Powering Past coal Alliance. This commitment entails a pledge to refrain from constructing new coal plants and systematically phasing out existing ones. Although no specific timeline was provided for the decommissioning of existing plants, existing regulatory measures and international agreements suggested a goal of eliminating coal from the U.S. energy landscape by 2035.
John Kerry emphasized the need to expedite the global transition away from unabated coal use, with a focus on fostering stronger economies and more resilient communities. The initial step in this process involves halting the construction of new unabated coal power plants. It's worth noting that economic factors have already been driving the closure of coal power plants across the United States, with no new coal facilities in development. Climate analyst Alden Meyer from the European think-tank E3G pointed out that market forces, particularly the cost-effectiveness of natural gas and renewable energy, have played a pivotal role in steering the nation towards retiring coal, a trend set to continue by the end of the decade.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy's data as of October, just under 20 percent of the country's electricity is generated from coal. Remarkably, the amount of coal consumed in the United States last year was less than half of what it was in 2008, underscoring the ongoing shift towards cleaner and more sustainable energy sources.
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