Victory for Climate, Public Health: US Coal Giant to Shut Down Three Plants

In a victory for advocates of clean air and water, energy giant American Electric Power will now be shutting down three coal-fired power plants and significantly reducing air pollution at 13 others across the Midwest and Southern United States.

[PHD]

- Jacob Chamberlain, staff writer

Coal plants currently supply 32 percent of the nation’s electricity, and are the largest U.S. source of both sulfur dioxide and mercury as well as carbon dioxide linked to global warming.

For the twelve months ending in June 2012, United States' coal plants produced 1,563,298 gigawatt hours of electricity, or 38.4 percent of total U.S. electricity production.

Is it 32% or 38%?