It is no secret that the Biden administration wants to shut down coal plants — preferably by regulating them out of existence by 2035. So, when U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry announced at COP28 late last week that the U.S. government was committing itself to accelerating the process of replacing coal with wind and solar power, it wasn’t a surprise.
COP28, which is located in Dubai this year, is one of the largest annual climate summits in the world. More than 84,000 people registered to attend, including heads of state like U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, industry leaders, diplomats, and journalists. It is the perfect place for countries to make empty promises to the global elites and announce well-timed climate alliances — like the U.S.’s decision to join the Power Past Coal Alliance, a group of almost 60 countries committed to speeding up the process of phasing out coal. (READ MORE: Al Gore for President)
That also makes it the perfect place for Kerry to go on the warpath against coal. During a panel, the special envoy told his audience that “there shouldn’t be any more coal-fired power plants permitted anywhere in the world. That’s how you can do something for health. And the reality is that we’re not doing it.”
The problem with phasing out coal as fast as possible is that it is an integrated part of the power system and a mainstay of poorer, rural communities across the United States. It currently supplies just under 20 percent of the U.S. power grid, according to data from the Department of Energy. More importantly, shuttering coal power plants will likely have a devastating impact on small communities that depend on them for their economy. (READ MORE: A Climate Change Believer’s Curse)
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