EIA Shows America is Moving Away from Coal, Clean Energy Surges

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced today that coal production dropped 18 percent in 2016, putting it at its lowest levels since 1978. The announcement comes at historic levels of clean energy growth in the American energy market, with solar and wind outpacing fossil fuels in new capacity additions for the past two years and clean energy jobs far exceeding fossil fuel jobs in 2016, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). Though the quality of these jobs are not listed in DOE’s statistics - healthcare, pensions, and union benefits - Sierra Club strongly supports the growth of clean energy and is committed to ensuring it creates stable, family wage employment.

Clean energy jobs, including those from solar, wind, energy efficiency, smart grid technology and battery storage, vastly outnumber all fossil fuel jobs nationwide from the coal, oil and gas sectors - that includes jobs in power generation, mining, and other forms of fossil fuel extraction. Sierra Club recently released analysis using Department of Energy data, showing that clean energy jobs outnumber fossil fuel jobs by 2.5 to 1 nationally, and they exceed all jobs in coal and gas 5 to 1.   

This growth in clean energy is coming from increasing demand from utilities as a way to save consumers money and by cities and states working to cut carbon pollution - an increasing number of which are moving toward 100 percent clean energy. This is highlighted by the news that 251 coal plants have retired or announced to retire nationwide since 2010, including five since the beginning of 2016.  Twenty five U.S. cities, for example, have just recently committed to transitioning entirely to clean energy and already in 2017, Madison, Wisconsin and Abita Springs, Louisiana have made that pledge. Last week Xcel Energy announced the largest investment ever in clean energy - with a $4 billion investment in new wind projects across 8 states.  

In response to America’s transition away from coal and toward clean energy, Bruce Nilles, Senior Director of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, released the following statement:

“Clean energy is quickly reshaping America’s energy sector - protecting our air and water, while also creating good jobs and real opportunities in communities across the United States. At the end of the day, there is very little Donald Trump can do to make people want to invest in the dirty fuels of the past when there are cheaper and cleaner alternatives that provide even more jobs.

“At this point, the federal government and the coal industry should focus their efforts on helping the communities and workers historically dependent on coal during this transition, rather than doubling down on plans that will only help fossil fuel billionaires line their pockets. As we transition to a clean energy economy, we must also ensure that its benefits are equitably shared and that the jobs and opportunities it creates provide family sustaining wages, healthcare benefits, and union representation for workers.”