Clean-energy advocates are slamming a multi-million-dollar lifeline from the Trump administration to six coal power plants, including one in North Carolina. Advocates say doubling down on coal is the wrong way to create more energy.

The Department of Energy announced it would provide $200 million to coal power plants across the country. That includes the Belews Creek plant owned and operated by Duke Energy.

Olive Burress, an organizer for the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign, said doubling down on coal only harms the health of both the environment and people.

"Burning coal for electricity is a major driver of climate change," she said, "but [it] also produces air emissions and sometimes water emissions that are associated with a lot of negative health outcomes, including various types of cancers, respiratory diseases and even having issues with having kids or those sort of reproductive issues."

The Trump administration has pushed back against efforts to prop up renewable energy, instead arguing that coal and other fossil fuels are the way to achieve American energy dominance.

Burress contended that renewable energy is the most affordable and cleanest way to build up North Carolina’s energy supply. However, solar development faces certain challenges in the state. Independent solar providers face stiff regulations on the amount of energy and total capacity they can provide.

"America and North Carolina [have] a really great opportunity to use this as a moment to invest in sustainable energy sources, like solar, wind and battery storage," she said, "instead of doubling down on fossil fuels, including outdated forms of fossil fuels like coal."

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, North Carolina receives 6% of its energy from renewable sources.

Source: Public News Service