Beyond Coal

Vision

1. Secure (through enforceable agreements or other commitments) the retirement of one-third of our nation's coal boilers (105,000 MW).
2. Ensure EPA rules are enacted with enough strength to cut soot, smog and mercury pollution from another 20,000 MW of coal boilers.
3. Defeat a majority of proposed new coal plants.
4. Defeat specific proposals to export coal from the largest remaining U.S. coal reserves in Alaska, Wyoming, and Montana.
5. Secure the installation of at least 100,000 MW of clean energy.

Campaign Achievements

• The Sierra Club stopped almost all new permits allowing mountain top removal mining in Appalachia.
• The Sierra Club stopped construction of more than 150 new coal-fired power plants stopping 610 million tons of CO2 annually. Visit the Sierra Club's coal plant tracker to keep up to date with new victories.
• In response to a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club, in November 2008 the EPA issued a ruling rejecting all of the EPA's staff excuses for failing to limit carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants effectively slowing down all new coal plant development until the EPA decides how to address global warming pollution from coal plants, opening the door for the development of clean, clean, low-carbon energy solutions. Read more about the Bonanza Ruling at Sierra magazine.
• Since January of 2010, 29,000 MW of coal power has been slated for retirement or conversion, putting us on pace to meet our goal of securing announced retirements of at least one-third of the fleet no later than 2020. Once these dirty plants are all taken offline, annual carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by more than 145 million tons.