Canada to Phase Out Coal Power Plants by 2030

Canada is on its way to officially phase out its coal-fired power plants by 2030 in an effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions as prescribed in the Paris Agreement. 

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna announced that these plants, located in four provinces, will be closed down. While these produce roughly 10 percent of Canada's total CO2 emissions, it's also the equivalent of emissions from 1.3 million cars from roads. This is five megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. 

According to tYahoo!, she also announced that this move is a part of Canada's vision for a "clean growth economy" as they transition to clean energy by 2030. 

It can be noted that Canada has an abundance of hydroelectric, solar, wind and nuclear power. They current power 80-percent of Canada's electricity production and emits no air pollution. 

McKenna said they want to increase that output to 90 percent by 2030. She also noted that the country's wind power-generating capacity increased twentyfold in the past decade, while its solar capacity increased by a whopping 125 percent. 

Regardless, she did say carbon capture is an acceptable substitute should the plants located in Alberta, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia want to continue burning coal. This is especially since Saskatchewan has been constantly resisting strong climate action because it may harm its agricultural and oil sectors. 

The province is also still testing the world's first large-scale carbon capture and storage. 

Meanwhile, Jean-Thomas Bernard of Ottawa said these efforts can be costly, as the SaskPower Boundary Dam has already cost Can$1.4 billion for its 115 MW production. He added coal is a "relatively small part" of the nation's power mix. 

Regardless, McKenna still wants to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2020, significantly less than its 2005 levels. Last year's Paris Agreement has set goals to limit average global warming to two degrees Celsius.

While countries such as the United States have pledged to curb emissions under the deal, President-elect Donald Trump wants to "cancel" the pact and boost oil, gas, and coal. He added climate change is just a "hoax" perpetrated by China.