U.S. Beyond Coal
The pollution from coal plants is warming the country and the planet, resulting in a wide and growing range of negative effects, from increased asthma attacks to devastating fires and floods. Fortunately, the fast-growing renewable energy industry can now provide cleaner and more efficient electric heating, cooling, vehicles, and batteries. These technologies, combined with climate leadership at the state, local, and business levels, have set the stage for the United States to move beyond its reliance on coal and transition to a 100% clean energy economy.
Coal’s share of electricity generation
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Podcast
The impact of retiring coal plants and transitioning to clean energy
Since 2011, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ work with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign has helped retire over 70% of the nation’s coal plants, proving the transition beyond coal isn’t just feasible – it’s happening now. Together with partners, the campaign has enabled major public health improvements, reducing premature deaths resulting from coal pollution from 13,000 per year to 3,000. The Beyond Coal campaign also works at the state and local level to advocate for and bring about policies that reduce our dependence on coal-fired power and accelerate the deployment of clean energy. For example, in 2018, coalitions supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies passed a 50 percent renewable energy policy in New Jersey and enacted record levels of clean energy investment in Virginia.
Top photo: Volunteers in Nevada organizing grassroots efforts to support the closure of coal-fired power plants as part of the Beyond Coal campaign. Photo credit: Sierra Club