Thursday 23 August 2018

New York fires up support for Powering Past Coal Alliance

New York is joining an international coalition of governments and businesses that have committed to end the use of unabated coal power.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo made the announcement to “share our expertise and continue to fight against dirty fossil fuels” as the Trump administration set out plans to relax emissions limit on coal plants in the US.

The Powering Past Coal Alliance was launched by the UK and Canada last year, with governments and businesses committing to take action such as setting coal phase-out targets and not making further investments in the fuel source.

The US president's Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule, which will replace the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, proposes to allow coal-producing states to develop and set their own rules for carbon emissions.

Governor Cuomo said: “The future of our environment, our economy and our children is at stake and New York will not let President Trump take us backward.

“With our bold mandate to close all coal-fired power plants by 2020 and our nation-leading commitment to renewables, we are already at the forefront of the clean energy revolution and we will not go back.”

New York has set a target to source half of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.