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John Kerry, the U. S. special presidential envoy for climate, attends an event on nuclear energy at the COP28 United Nations Climate Summit.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates >> The United States committed today to the idea of phasing out coal power plants, joining 56 other nations in kicking the coal habit that’s a huge factor in global warming.
U. S. Special Envoy John Kerry announced that the U. S. will join the Powering Past Coal Alliance, meaning the Biden administration is committed to not building new coal plants and phasing out existing plants. No date has been given for the closure of existing plants, but other regulatory measures through Biden and foreign commitments already in place meant there would be no more coal until 2035.
“We will be working to accelerate unabated coal phase-out across the world, building stronger economies and more resilient communities,” Kerry said in a statement. “The first step is to stop making the problem worse: stop building new unabated coal power plants.”
Coal-fired power plants have already been shut down across the country for economic reasons, and there are no new coal-fired plants in the works, so “we were going to a coal phase-out until the end of the decade anyway,” said weather analyst Alden Meyer of the European Union think tank E3G. That’s because herbal fuel and renewables are cheaper, so it’s up to market forces, he said.
As of October, just under 20% of the U.S. electricity is powered by coal, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The amount of coal burned in the United States last year is less than half what it was in 2008.
Coal produces about 211 pounds (96 kilograms) of heat-trapping carbon dioxide for every million BTUs of energy produced, while vegetable fuel produces about 117 pounds (53 kilograms) and fuel, which produces about 156 pounds (71 kilograms), according to the U. S. Energy Information Administration. U. S.
The U.S. had been pushing other nations, especially China and India which are building new coal plants pell-mell, to get rid of the fuel, which causes more heat-trapping carbon emissions than other power systems.
Today’s action “sends a pretty foreign signal that the United States is leading by example,” Meyer said.
The Powering Past Coal Alliance started six years ago and had 50 country members until today when the United States and six others joined, said alliance spokeswoman Anna Drazkiewicz. Others joining today include the Czech Republic and the Dominican Republic.
“The transition of power is a simple task and, as such, requires strong cooperation and support,” said Kosovo’s Minister of Environment, Artane Rizvanolli. “Joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance reiterates Kosovo’s transparent commitment and continued efforts towards a socially just and empty energy sector. “
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