New York State will phase out its few remaining coal-fired generating stations by 2020 as part of a broader effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the transition to clean energy, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week in his annual State of the State address.
“We will help the few remaining coal plants [make the] transition, but we must clean our air and protect our health and that must be our first priority,” he said. The state produces about 1.3% of its electricity from coal, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The governor “also reaffirmed his plans to cut carbon pollution in New York by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050,” The Hill reports. “He has mandated that the state get 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, and pledged to add 150,000 solar panels and 300 wind turbines around the state.”
Lisa Dix, New York senior director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, welcomed Cuomo’s move to shift the state “from the energy of the past to the energy of the future.” She added that Sierra would work with New York “toward a just and fair transition policy framework for coal-affected communities, and to support the governor’s legacy climate and energy programs.”
