May 10, 2021 11:15 AM EDT
In 2010, coal-fired power plants generated 50 percent of US electricity. Last year, coal plants were responsible for only about 20 percent. That’s good news for public health and the climate, but bad news for coal miners and coal-fired power plant workers, as well as the places where they live and work. Read more >
May 6, 2021 11:32 AM EDT
About five years ago, when UCS looked at the economics of coal plants, we found that about 40 percent of coal plants were more expensive than cleaner alternatives. Almost every year since our report has come out, a new study has come out and come to a similar conclusion with one notable difference: The amount of coal that is uneconomic seems to always be increasing. And the latest study has found that the number has reached 80 percent!
What is even more fascinating is that the numbers are starting to paint a very clear picture: that transitioning away from coal and towards clean energy could save customers money today. Read more >
May 4, 2021 6:00 AM EDT
Across the country, including here in the Midwest, we are transitioning away from coal as a fuel source. While this brings important emission reductions and new opportunities for clean energy development, we still don’t do a great job supporting communities and workers who directly affected by the transition away from coal.
A new report by UCS and the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) aims to address this need. Entitled Supporting the Nation’s Coal Workers and Communities in a Changing Energy Landscape, the report offers comprehensive and affordable policies to support coal-dependent workers, their families, and their communities adjusting to a changing energy landscape. Read more >
May 4, 2021 6:00 AM EDT
A new analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists—and co-created with the Utility Workers Union of America—offers a blueprint for how to prevent many more communities in the United States from suffering economic devastation as the nation shifts away from coal to lower-carbon energy sources. Read more >
March 29, 2021 3:31 PM EDT
As we collectively work toward a clean energy economy, many advocates have started to recognize the need to address the disproportionate impact that such a transition will have on the workers and communities that depend on the fossil fuel industries to earn their livelihoods and power their economies. But what can policymakers do about it? And what should advocates be asking for?
