Ottawa announces plan to phase out coal-fired electricity by 2030

OTTAWA – Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna is announcing a plan to phase out the use of coal-fired electricity by 2030.

She says the goal is to make sure 90 per cent of Canada’s electricity comes from sustainable sources by that time – up from 80 per cent today.

The announcement is one of a series of measures the federal government is rolling out in advance of a first-ministers meeting with the provinces in early December to determine a broader climate-change plan.

McKenna says the coal timetable includes a new agreement with Nova Scotia to give that province the flexibility it needs to shift directly from fossil fuels to clean sources of electricity.

She says she is working on forging a flexible agreement with Saskatchewan.