Campaign Director Bruce Nilles helped coordinate a successful grassroots movement and was declared Grists 2008 Eco-Hero of the year for his efforts. The Sierra Club US claims to have stopped 24 new coal plants in the U.S. last year, for a total of 95 coal plants defeated or abandoned since the beginning of the recent coal rush.

Coal is becoming an increasingly risky energy option, as coal plants will soon be required to account for their global warming pollution. According to the Energy Information Administrations Annual Energy Outlook Report the US needs only two new coal plants between 2013 and 2025.

Government findings clearly dispute the coal industrys call for dozens of new plants. In 2008 the coal industry spent close to $50 million on ads to sway public support for more "clean" coal-fired power plants.