Hillary Clinton proposes $30bn lifeline for hard-hit coal communities

Infrastructure and education in poor mining regions among targets of funding, as well as repurposing of lands and power plant sites for other industries

Hillary Clinton on Thursday unveiled a $30bn plan to help America's coal communities adjust to a climate agenda increasingly driven by renewable energy sources.

After setting ambitious goals to combat climate change in recent months, the Democratic presidential frontrunner's latest proposals detail how a Clinton administration would seek to alleviate the impact on mining communities of a transition away from coal-fired power plants. Her proposals include new federal investments in public health and education, job training and infrastructure, targeted toward coal-dependent communities that have seen dramatic job losses at the expense of growth in wind, solar and natural gas industries.