Canadian electricity provider TransAlta announced significant progress in its clean energy strategy today, along with other sustainability initiatives, with the release of the company’s Q3 2020 results. The announcements indicate the company is moving forward on its plans to exit coal, while ramping clean energy initiatives.

TransAlta announced that it will discontinue all mining operations at the Highvale Mine by Dec. 31, 2021, four years ahead of the original schedule. From the beginning of 2022, the company said it will discontinue firing with coal in Canada. The company also recently announced that its WindCharger Battery Storage project began commercial operation in October.

Dawn Farrell, President and Chief Executive Officer, said:

“TransAlta’s third quarter delivered excellent results from strategic, operational and financial perspectives. We continued to advance our climate leadership strategy and added Alberta’s first utility-scale battery storage project, WindCharger, to our sizable hydro and wind fleet. TransAlta has been a leader in emissions reductions in Alberta since 2005 and we will continue to use this expertise to serve customers with low-cost, reliable, green electricity.”

TransAlta also stated that it has adopted a Diversity and Inclusion Pledge that commits the company to advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace. According to the company, the pledge commits the company to removing systemic barriers that may prevent diverse employees from thriving, including visible minorities, Indigenous people, members of the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, and women.