The
Sierra Club issued the following news release:
The Brayton Point Power Station,
Massachusetts'
last operating coal-fired power plant, ended operations
today. The 1,500 megawatt power plant, once the largest
in the region, had been in operation for 50 years. The
retirement was announced in 2013 and was the 150th
coal-fired power plant across the country to announce
retirement since 2010.
In response to today's announcement Emily
Norton, Chapter Director for the
Massachusetts Chapter of the Sierra Club, stated:
"Coal is the past. Clean energy is the future. With
100,000
Massachusetts
workers now employed in the clean energy industry, we
know that this transition is good for our health, good
for our economy, and good for our kids as they graduate
and seek stable, good-paying jobs. As we move away from
polluting industries it is urgent that we ensure a just
transition for impacted individuals and communities.
Solar and wind jobs are growing at a rate 12 times
faster than the rest of the
U.S. economy, and the nation's fastest
growing profession over the next decade is likely to be
a wind turbine technician.
"While the President inexplicably chooses the
polluting policies of the past,
Massachusetts can be the example our
international partners need. Despite ignorance in the
White House, decision makers across the country
can see
Massachusetts is embracing innovation,
technology, and a clean energy future."