coal

New Audio Series Documents Southeast’s Move From Coal to Clean Energy

Durham, NC - An ambitious new audio series released today by Sierra Club covers the real consequences of fossil fuels and climate change in the American South -- with a hopeful vision for the region’s future.

Kentuckians Rally for Stronger Local, National and Global Climate Action

Students, community members, and environmental advocates are rallied today at Brescia University to highlight the need for stronger national conversations and commitments to protect the environment.

Coal Is Out: 27 Governments Join Powering Past Coal Alliance To Phase Out Coal Globally

BONN, GERMANY -- Today, Canada and the UK announced the Powering Past Coal Alliance in partnership with 25 other governments from around the world. The alliance -- comprised of Alberta, Angola, Austria, Belgium, British Columbia, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Ontario, Oregon, Portugal, Quebec, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vancouver, and Washington state -- has announced the goal of moving OECD countries beyond coal by 2030 and by 2050 for the rest of the world. Their aim is to have 50 members by the 2018 UN climate negotiations and will be open for businesses to join.

Kentucky Utilities announces it will phase out two coal units at E.W. Brown plant and continue transition to clean energy

Kentucky Utilities announced today that it will retire two of its three coal-fired units located at the E.W. Brown coal plant near Herrington Lake in Harrodsburg. Advocates including Earthjustice, the Sierra Club, and Kentucky Waterways Alliance have worked for years with local communities to curb dangerous air and water pollution from the plant.

Groups Appeal District Court's Dismissal of Case on Four Corners Power Plant and Navajo Mine

Navajo, regional and national conservation groups today filed with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to continue their challenge of a 25-year extension of coal operations at Four Corners Power Plant and Navajo Mine. They appealed a decision from Arizona’s federal district court dismissing their case. The groups are challenging the Department of the Interior’s extension for violating the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act.

New Coalition Aims To Take Europe Beyond Coal

A new coalition is launching a joint effort today to urge 28 European countries to dramatically accelerate their transition away from coal and toward clean, renewable energy. With the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Finland, France, Italy and Portugal committing to closing their remaining coal plants in the coming decade, Europe Beyond Coal is working to making this transition to a healthier world as swift as possible. Leaders of a sister campaign in the US, the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, welcomed the news.

Rappahannock Electric Cooperative Reaches Settlement on SCC Rate Case With Sierra Club and the Office of the Attorney General

RICHMOND, VA - The Sierra Club announced today that it and the other parties have reached a settlement on Rappahannock Electric Cooperative’s rate case, pending final approval from the State Corporation Commission.

America is Halfway to Moving Beyond Coal

TEXAS -- Luminant Energy’s announcement to close three of the nation’s largest and dirtiest coal plants in Central Texas means that more than half of the coal plants in America have retired or committed to retire since 2010.

Bloomberg Announces $64 Million in New Funding to Move America Beyond Coal as Trump EPA Tries to Prop Up Dead End Fuel Source

One day after the Trump Administration formally announced its plans to rescind the Clean Power Plan, the Obama Administration's climate change policy that has been held up in federal court, Michael R. Bloomberg announced a new commitment of $64 million to support the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign and other organizations working to advance the U.S. clean energy market at the state and local level. Pollution from coal-fired power plants is the largest source of carbon emissions and kills 7,500 Americans annually, down from 13,000 when the Beyond Coal campaign began expanding in 2011 through support from Bloomberg.

Texas’ Monticello Coal Plant Announces Plans To Close

Irving, TX -- The energy company Luminant today announced plans to retire its massive Monticello coal plant in January 2018. This plant, in the Mt. Pleasant community of Titus County, Texas, is currently one of the largest and dirtiest coal plants remaining anywhere in the United States.

Sierra Club: “Wheeler Nomination Is Absolutely Horrifying”

WASHINGTON D.C.-- Today, the Trump Administration nominated coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to Deputy Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In response, Sierra Club’s Legislative Director Melinda Pierce released the following statement:

Pruitt prioritizes Texas pollution over clear skies and public health in Oklahoma

Instead of protecting public health and the environment, a new rule will only serve the coal industry, community members and advocates say. After the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) unreasonable request to delay the long overdue deadline for the final Texas Regional Haze plan, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is doubling down and putting the health of Texas and Oklahoma’s families and public lands at risk for the benefit of Texas coal plants. While claiming to address sulfur dioxide pollution from Texas coal plants, the final rule issued by EPA today actually allows more pollution from these plants than they produced in 2016. By failing to finalize and implement the 2016 proposed plan that required actual pollution reductions in Texas, Administrator Pruitt is putting the interests of polluters over public health in Texas, Oklahoma and across the central United States.