Beyond Coal

The Beyond Coal movement is a campaign by the Sierra Club to promote renewable energy instead of coal. Their primary objective is to close coal power plants in the United States, including at least one-third of the country's more than 500 coal plants by 2020, and to replace them with renewable energy sources. The campaign is also active in other countries; for example they are trying to prevent the construction of the Kosovo C thermal power plant near Pristina, Kosovo; to this end they have collaborated with academic and Obama administration climate advisor Dan Kammen. Other objectives include keeping coal in the ground, specifically in Appalachia and the Powder River Basin, where the majority of American coal reserves are located, and preventing coal from being exported from America.

The campaign has received at least $80 million from Michael Bloomberg and his philanthropic foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies. During the early Presidency of George W. Bush, an energy task force convened by Dick Cheney advocated the construction of 200 new coal plants in the United States, warning that if they were not built the entire country would face load shedding as California had just seen. During the Bush administration, the Beyond Coal campaign prevented 170 of the 200 plants from being built.

In 2010, after the American Clean Energy and Security Act failed to pass through the United States Senate, the Sierra Club acted to circumvent Congress to work directly with local community groups. The campaign, together with market forces and the Clean Power Plan, have secured enough coal retirements to put the United States economy on a path to cut carbon emissions faster than would have been mandated under the cap-and-trade plan. This unprecedented wave of coal retirements is putting the United States on track to meet the Clean Power Plan's 2030 target five years ahead of schedule.

With regards to national universities, 16 have committed to utilizing alternative sources for energy. Another aspect of the campaign is to promote national universities to utilize alternative renewable energy sources instead of coal-based sources. The movement is geared towards working with college students to encourage environmental understanding and awareness by encouraging the research and use of alternative energies. Specifically, at Michigan State University, the Beyond Coal campaign was started in the spring of 2010. Students, faculty, and alumni are working together to promote the awareness of alternative energy sources as well as encouraging students around campus to encourage administration to stop utilizing carbon energy sources.

See also

• Sustainability at the University of British Columbia
• Environmental issues with coal