BEGINNING OF THE END FOR COAL: A LONG YEAR IN THE LIFE OF THE U.S. COAL INDUSTRY
Date: Saturday, April 12 @ 15:03:18 EDT
Topic: Energy
“With concerns about climate change mounting, the era of coal-fired
electricity generation in the United States may be coming to a close,”
says Lester R. Brown, President, and Jonathan G. Dorn, Staff
Researcher, of Earth Policy Institute, in a recent release, “The
Beginning of the End for Coal: A Long Year in the Life of the U.S. Coal
Industry”.
In
early 2007, a U.S. Department of Energy report listed 151 coal-fired
power plants in the planning stages in the United States. But during
2007, 59 proposed plants were either refused licenses by state
governments or quietly abandoned. In addition, close to 50 coal plants
are being contested in the courts, and the remaining plants will likely
be challenged when they reach the permitting stage.
What began as a few local ripples of resistance to coal-fired power
plants is quickly evolving into a national tidal wave of opposition
from environmental, health, farm, and community organizations as well
as leading climate scientists and state governments. Growing concern
over pending legislation to regulate carbon emissions is creating
uncertainty in financial markets. Leading financial groups are now
downgrading coal stocks and requiring utilities seeking funding for
coal plants to include a cost for carbon emissions when proving
economic viability.
On March 11, 2008, Representative Henry Waxman of California introduced
a bill to ban new coal-fired power plants without carbon emissions
controls nationwide until federal regulations are put in place to
address greenhouse gas emissions. If Congress passes this bill, it will
deal a death blow to the future of U.S. coal-fired power generation.
Yet even without a legislative mandate for a moratorium, the
contraction in financial support for new coal-fired power plants is
escalating toward a de facto moratorium. The timeline that follows is
witness to what may well be the beginning of the end of coal-fired
power in the United States.
Click here to view the Release and Coal Timeline.
SOURCE:
Earth Policy Institute
CONTACT: For information contact:
Media Contact:
Reah Janise Kauffman
Tel: (202) 496-9290 x 12
E-mail: rjk@earthpolicy.org
Research Contact:
Janet Larsen
Tel: (202) 496-9290 x 14
E-mail: jlarsen@earthpolicy.org
Earth Policy Institute
1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 403
Washington, DC 20036
WEB SITE:
http://www.earth-policy.org/
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