A new coal mine that President Donald Trump mentioned in announcing plans to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord has officially opened in Pennsylvania.

The Acosta Mine will supply coal used in making steel and is expected to generate up to 100 full-time jobs. It's located in Friedens, about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

A Thursday celebration marked its opening.

Corsa Coal Corp. says it decided in August to open the mine after a steel industry boom drove up prices for metallurgical coal. Pennsylvania awarded a $3 million grant for the project.

George Dethlefsen, Corsa CEO, says even though the mine is not for conventional coal, it still give the industry hope there is a bright future for coal.

"The war on coal is over, creating a climate of pro-business and pro-steel, whether that's the trade tariffs, or whether that's just fostering economic growth through tax cuts or infrastructure spending, all of those things affect our future outlook for prices," said Dethlefsen.

Neil Donahue, professor at Carnegie Mellon University, doesn't think the mine opening signals a big change for the industry.

"The mine has to do with making steel, so it has some significance to the steel industry – it has nothing to do with the bigger questions about coal. Almost all coal – the enormous majority of coal – is burned for electricity," said Donahue.

Donahue thinks that no matter how pro-coal the current administration is, the fact remains that coal is more expensive than some of the alternatives.

"I think people should be extraordinarily skeptical that the president can snap his fingers and make King Coal, King Coal again. I think in the short term, allowing coal mines and coal power industries to pollute without paying us the due cost of that pollution – sure, that'll helped out. I'm suspicious that it'll help them out to the point where they suddenly become competitive against natural gas," said Donahue.

No matter what the mine says about the broader future for coal in the U.S., the workers in the Acosta Mine say the opening makes them more optimistic about the future of their profession.

"There was some doubt, I won't lie, we doubted if we were going to have jobs or if the company was going to make it, but they did," said Matt Owens, one of the mine's safety coordinators.

Friedens, Pennsylvania – June 7, 2017

++ SOUNDBITES PARTIALLY COVERED BY FOOTAGE OF MINE ++

1. Wide of coal pit

2. Sequence of lifter moving concrete blocks

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Shawn Petree, new mine superintendent:

"The industry stays on the up rise here, all the guys that work here appreciate having the opportunity to have a job, number one, and everybody's kind of excited to open a new one up."

4. Various of mine

5. Various of Dethlefsen

6. SOUNDBITE (English) George Dethlefsen, Corsa CEO:

"The metallurgical coal industry that sells into the steel market is experiencing a period of very high prices, and has been over the last seven or eight months, so the decision for us to open this mine is an economic decision"

7. Shot of mine worker

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Chris Pistorius, professor of steelmaking research at Carnegie Mellon:

"The metallurgical coal, as it's called, is a particularly niche market which is really just mined for iron making, to make coke, so it really is a separate product entirely."

9. Dethlefsen in mine

10. SOUNDBITE (English), George Dethlefsen, Corsa CEO:

"The war on coal is over, creating a climate of pro-business and pro-steel, whether that's the trade tariffs, or whether that's just fostering economic growth through tax cuts and infrastructure spending, all of those things impact our future outlook for prices"

11. Various of mine

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Neil Donahue, professor of chemistry, engineering, and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University:

"The mine has to do with making steel, and so it has some significance to the steel industry – it has almost nothing to do with the bigger questions about coal. Almost all coal – the enormous majority of coal – is burned for electricity."

++WHITE FLASH++

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Neil Donahue, professor of chemistry, engineering, and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University:

"I think people should be extraordinarily skeptical that the president can snap his fingers and make king coal, king coal again. I think in the short term, reducing, essentially allowing coal mines and coal power industries to pollute without paying us the due share of the cost of that pollution – sure, that'll help them out. I'm suspicious that it won't help them out to the point that they suddenly become competitive against natural gas."

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Matt Owens, mine safety coordinator:

"There was some doubt, I won't lie, we doubted if we were going to have jobs or if the company was going to make it, but they did."

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Matt Owens, mine safety coordinator:

"We're hoping to be here another 15 years, we're hoping it's a good coal mine, that we can load a lot of coal out of it, close for our homes so it's an easy commute, so yeah, we want to be here."

16. Various of mine

A new coal mine that President Donald Trump mentioned in announcing plans to pull the US out of the Paris climate accord has officially opened in Pennsylvania.

The Acosta Mine will supply coal used in making steel and is expected to generate up to 100 full-time jobs. It's located in Friedens, about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

A Thursday celebration marked its opening.

Corsa Coal Corp. says it decided in August to open the mine after a steel industry boom drove up prices for metallurgical coal. Pennsylvania awarded a $3 million grant for the project.

George Dethlefsen, Corsa CEO, says even though the mine is not for conventional coal, it still give the industry hope there is a bright future for coal.

"The war on coal is over, creating a climate of pro-business and pro-steel, whether that's the trade tariffs, or whether that's just fostering economic growth through tax cuts or infrastructure spending, all of those things affect our future outlook for prices," said Dethlefsen.

Neil Donahue, professor at Carnegie Mellon University, doesn't think the mine opening signals a big change for the industry.

"The mine has to do with making steel, so it has some significance to the steel industry – it has nothing to do with the bigger questions about coal. Almost all coal – the enormous majority of coal – is burned for electricity," said Donahue.

Donahue thinks that no matter how pro-coal the current administration is, the fact remains that coal is more expensive than some of the alternatives.

"I think people should be extraordinarily skeptical that the president can snap his fingers and make King Coal, King Coal again. I think in the short term, allowing coal mines and coal power industries to pollute without paying us the due cost of that pollution – sure, that'll helped out. I'm suspicious that it'll help them out to the point where they suddenly become competitive against natural gas," said Donahue.

No matter what the mine says about the broader future for coal in the U.S., the workers in the Acosta Mine say the opening makes them more optimistic about the future of their profession.

"There was some doubt, I won't lie, we doubted if we were going to have jobs or if the company was going to make it, but they did," said Matt Owens, one of the mine's safety coordinators.

Friedens, Pennsylvania - June 7, 2017

1. Wide of coal pit, US flag draped over wall

2. Various of lifter moving concrete blocks

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Shawn Petree, new mine superintendent:

"Hopefully the industry stays on the up rise here, all the guys that work here appreciate having the opportunity to have a job, number one, and everybody's kind of excited to open a new one (coal mine) up."

4. Petree getting onto a vehicle

5. Various of Dethlefsen

6. SOUNDBITE (English) George Dethlefsen, Corsa CEO:

"The metallurgical industry that sells into the steel market is experiencing a period of very high prices, and has been over the last seven or eight months, so the decision for us to open this mine is an economic decision."

7. Tight of coal with Dethlefsen in background

8. Mine worker

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Chris Pistorius, professor of steelmaking research at Carnegie Mellon:

"The metallurgical coal, as it's called, is a particularly niche market which is really just mined for iron making, to make coke, so it really is a separate product entirely."

10. Dethlefsen talking to worker

11. SOUNDBITE (English) George Dethlefsen, Corsa CEO:

"The war on coal is over, creating a climate of pro-business and pro-steel, whether that's the trade tariffs, or whether that's just fostering economic growth through tax cuts or infrastructure spending, all of those things effect our future outlook for prices."

12. Various of mining equipment

13. Neil Donahue, professor of chemistry, engineering, and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Neil Donahue, professor of chemistry, engineering, and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University:

"The mine has to do with making steel, so it has some significance to the steel industry – it has nothing to do with the bigger questions about coal. Almost all coal – the enormous majority of coal – is burned for electricity."

15. Donahue speaking to man

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Neil Donahue, professor of chemistry, engineering, and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University:

"I think people should be extraordinarily skeptical that the president can snap his fingers and make king coal, king coal again. I think in the short term, reducing, essentially allowing coal mines and coal power industries to pollute without paying us the due share of the cost of that pollution – sure, that'll help them out. I'm suspicious that it won't help them out to the point where they suddenly become competitive against natural gas."

17. Various of mine workers

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Matt Owens, mine safety coordinator:

"There was some doubt, I won't lie, we doubted if we were going to have jobs or if the company was going to make it, but they did."

19. Various of workers putting down concrete blocks

20. Various of mine

A new coal mine that President Donald Trump mentioned in announcing plans to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord has officially opened in Pennsylvania.

The Acosta Mine will supply coal used in making steel and is expected to generate up to 100 full-time jobs. It's located in Friedens, about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

A Thursday celebration marked its opening.

Corsa Coal Corp. says it decided in August to open the mine after a steel industry boom drove up prices for metallurgical coal. Pennsylvania awarded a $3 million grant for the project.

George Dethlefsen, Corsa CEO, says even though the mine is not for conventional coal, it still give the industry hope there is a bright future for coal.

"The war on coal is over, creating a climate of pro-business and pro-steel, whether that's the trade tariffs, or whether that's just fostering economic growth through tax cuts or infrastructure spending, all of those things affect our future outlook for prices," said Dethlefsen.

Neil Donahue, professor at Carnegie Mellon University, doesn't think the mine opening signals a big change for the industry.

"The mine has to do with making steel, so it has some significance to the steel industry – it has nothing to do with the bigger questions about coal. Almost all coal – the enormous majority of coal – is burned for electricity," said Donahue.

Donahue thinks that no matter how pro-coal the current administration is, the fact remains that coal is more expensive than some of the alternatives.

"I think people should be extraordinarily skeptical that the president can snap his fingers and make King Coal, King Coal again. I think in the short term, allowing coal mines and coal power industries to pollute without paying us the due cost of that pollution – sure, that'll helped out. I'm suspicious that it'll help them out to the point where they suddenly become competitive against natural gas," said Donahue.

No matter what the mine says about the broader future for coal in the U.S., the workers in the Acosta Mine say the opening makes them more optimistic about the future of their profession.

"There was some doubt, I won't lie, we doubted if we were going to have jobs or if the company was going to make it, but they did," said Matt Owens, one of the mine's safety coordinators.

Friedens, Pennsylvania - June 7, 2017

1. Wide of coal pit

2. Various of lifter moving concrete blocks

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Shawn Petree, new mine superintendent:

"Hopefully the industry stays on the up rise here, all the guys that work here appreciate having the opportunity to have a job, number one, and everybody's kind of excited to open a new one up."

4. Petree getting onto a vehicle

5. Various of Dethlefsen

6. SOUNDBITE (English) George Dethlefsen, Corsa CEO:

"The metallurgical industry that sells into the steel market is experiencing a period of very high prices, and has been over the last seven or eight months, so the decision for us to open this mine is an economic decision."

7. Tight of coal with Dethlefsen in background

8. Dethlefsen talking to worker

9. Mine worker

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Chris Pistorius, professor of steelmaking research at Carnegie Mellon:

"The metallurgical coal, as it's called, is a particularly niche market which is really just mined for iron making, to make coke, so it really is a separate product entirely."

11. Dethlefsen talking to worker

12. SOUNDBITE (English) George Dethlefsen, Corsa CEO:

"The war on coal is over, creating a climate of pro-business and pro-steel, whether that's the trade tariffs, or whether that's just fostering economic growth through tax cuts or infrastructure spending, all of those things effect our future outlook for prices."

13. Various of mining equipment

14. Neil Donahue, professor of chemistry, engineering, and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Neil Donahue, professor of chemistry, engineering, and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University:

"The mine has to do with making steel, so it has some significance to the steel industry – it has nothing to do with the bigger questions about coal. Almost all coal – the enormous majority of coal – is burned for electricity."

16. Donahue speaking to man

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Neil Donahue, professor of chemistry, engineering, and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University:

"I think people should be extraordinarily skeptical that the president can snap his fingers and make king coal, king coal again. I think in the short term, reducing, essentially allowing coal mines and coal power industries to pollute without paying us the due share of the cost of that pollution – sure, that'll help them out. I'm suspicious that it won't help them out to the point where they suddenly become competitive against natural gas."

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Matt Owens, mine safety coordinator:

"There was some doubt, I won't lie, we doubted if we were going to have jobs or if the company was going to make it, but they did."

19. Various of workers putting down concrete blocks

20. Various of mine

The former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, told an audience on Saturday that coal plant closures have allowed the United States to lead the way in reducing carbon emissions.

He spoke on the sidelines of COP23, a global climate change conference, in Bonn on Saturday.

President Donald Trump has promised to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 Paris climate pact where nations set their own goals to reduce the emissions of heat-trapping gases, but because of legal technicalities, America can't get out until November of 2020.

Bloomberg also encouraged Germans to put pressure on their Chancellor Angela Merkel in order to push the government to phase out coal completely.

The German government claims to be a leader in the fight against climate change but has refused to set a date for phasing out the use of coal, which emits large amounts of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide when burned.

Coal accounts for about 40 percent of Germany's energy mix.

Of the major fossil fuels, coal is by far the biggest climate change culprit. In 2014, coal accounted for 46 percent of the globe's carbon dioxide emissions, but was only 29 percent of its energy supply, according to the International Energy Agency.

Bonn - 11 November 2017

1. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg arriving

2. Woman listening

3. Cutaway of camera

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Bloomberg, former New York mayor:

"In the United States, coal plant closures have helped us reduce carbon emissions more than any other large country over the last decade. And they are about to take us 60 percent of the way towards our Paris agreement goal. So for all the talk of America dropping out and America not doing its part, the truth of the matter is: we are leading the way. And that's without the federal government. God help us if they tried to help us."

5. Cutaway of audience

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Bloomberg, former New York mayor:

"If you are worried about the effects of our federal government, and what the administration is been saying, I am happy to say that since last November the rate of coal plant closures has actually increased, which shows you just how much influence Washington has on this issue."

7. Cutaway of camera

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Bloomberg, former New York mayor:

"Now Germany is considering phasing out coal completely. That would be an incredible step. And I think, if you really care, what you should do is try to call your representative, if your German, and say: 'we want Chancellor Merkel to champion getting rid of coal now'. Forget about the politics, it is lives."

9. Audience applauding

10. Jumper with slogan (English) reading: "Europe beyond coal"