Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced he has authorized Connecticut to become part of the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a 50-member coalition of nations, regions, states and corporations seeking to create a moratorium on traditional coal power stations.
Connecticut is home to one coal-fired plant, the Bridgeport Harbor Station, and that is scheduled to cease coal burning in 2021. Malloy, who made his announcement at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, also stated that he authorized the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to develop regulations that will phase out the use of hydrofluorocarbons, which scientists have blamed as a contributing factor to climate change.
“Climate change is the most significant global threat of our lifetime,” said Malloy. “We have seen its impacts firsthand this summer from wildfires in California to the powerful Hurricane Florence on the East Coast. While President Trump intends to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, Connecticut refuses to listen to coal lobbyists and climate change deniers when setting environmental policy. If the federal government will not act to mitigate the impacts of climate change, it is incumbent upon states to act to protect the one planet that we have. By joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance, and phasing out the use of hydrofluorocarbons, Connecticut is sustaining its commitment to hold true to the goals of the Paris Agreement.”
