New data from the federal Government has shown that the US generated more electricity from renewable sources than coal for the first time in April.
Clean energy like wind and solar provided 23% of the country's electricity generation during the month, compared with 20% for coal. This marks the first time coal has been surpassed by energy sources that do not release pollution, such as gases that heat the planet.
In the US, April was a favourable month for renewables, due to low energy demand and a slight increase in wind generation. This suggests coal could again pull back ahead of renewables at some point in 2019, but the long term trends appear to be set.
President Trump has continually promised to revive the fortunes of the coal industry, to the delight of mining regions in States such as West Virginia, by repealing various clean air and climate regulations. However, at least 50 coal-fired power plants have closed since Trump came to power in 2017. The falling cost of renewables and gas has meant coal has been replaced as the preferred energy source for utilities.
Michael Webber, an energy expert at the University of Texas, commented: "The fate of coal has been sealed, the market has spoken. The trend is irreversible now, the decline of coal is unstoppable despite Donald Trump’s rhetoric.
"Trump has made a promise that will be broken, which is a tragedy for coalminers who were told they don’t need to get other jobs or get new skills. They have been sent the wrong signal and now there are lay-offs."
Due to the lack of national climate change policy, other States like New York and California have themselves pledged to completely phase out the use of fossil fuels.
Many other States are also shifting away from coal to gas, with at least 150 new gas plants and thousands of miles of pipeline planned for the coming years. It's a move which hasn't pleased environmentalists, as gas is still a fossil fuel and emits carbon dioxide which warms the planet, however it is not associated with the same health problems caused by air pollution.
