The Biden Administration Pledges to Phase Out Coal Power Plants

The Biden administration pledged on Saturday to phase out coal power plants alongside dozens of other countries, a change that would go a long way toward curbing global warming.

US Special Envoy John Kerry announced that the United States would join 56 other nations in the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a group launched by the UK and Canadian governments in 2017 to transition away from coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel. The alliance has committed to stop building new power plants and to phase out existing ones.

“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 United States was one of seven countries to join the alliance this weekend as the United Nations hosted the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai.

At #COP28 , I joined President @EmmanuelMacron & other leaders to proudly announce the United States is joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance.

We will work with partners around the world to phase out unabated coal, an absolutely essential step for keeping 1.5 C within reach. pic.twitter.com/ZnIgLr7hvY

— Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry (@ClimateEnvoy) December 2, 2023