Editor’s note: The following is a statement from the American Coal Council and America’s Coal Associations on the recently released ruling from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It has been edited only for style and clarity.
The nation’s miners and coal allies from around the country who collectively account for 400,000 American workers and $261 billion in annual economic activity, join hand-in-hand today to strongly oppose President Biden’s EPA for utilizing federal rulemaking to essentially attempt to shut down coal plants and coal mining operations across the country.
Chris Hamilton, president and CEO of the West Virginia Coal Association, said: “Make no mistake, the rules announced by EPA today are specifically designed to shut down the nation’s coal-fired power plants and eradicate coal and coal mining from the country’s energy mix. This is a continuation and escalation of the national Democrat Party’s decades-long War on Coal and threatens the livelihood of tens of thousands of miners and power plant workers across America.”
Pennsylvania Coal Alliance President Rachel Gleason added, “Despite numerous recent announcements from regional grid operators, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, National Electric Reliability Commission and energy experts forecasting that the amount of planned electric generation retirements exceed the amount of potential new generation able to be brought online, the EPA recklessly continues to march America off a grid reliability cliff.”
Travis Deti, executive director of the Wyoming Coal Association, noted: “What EPA is doing is an economic catastrophe and make no mistake, it will cost tens of thousands of great jobs from coast to coast and everywhere in between. On top of that, in these incredibly difficult times, American families will continue to pay increasingly more expensive power bills month by month, all in the name of climate alarmism.
“Our state and national electric systems will become even more unreliable as the grid weakens and base load power supplies are severely reduced in the coming years. And if all of that is not bad enough, America’s energy security will likely become more dependent on foreign countries and potentially foreign adversaries to meet our growing, not slowing, energy needs. These rules lack common sense on every level, and the only people benefiting are radical NGO’s and heavily subsidized green energy corporations.”
“The courts have been critical of EPA for abusing its rule making powers and the instant carbon rule is the most flagrant abuse we have seen,” Deti continued. “It is by design intended to shutter the country’s remaining coal plants and put hard working Americans in the unemployment line.”
American Coal Council CEO Emily Arthun also made a statement: “It is unfortunate that it is popular to support boutique energy policies which favor green sources of energy and villainize energy sources that are reliable and affordable and have provided low-cost energy to the United States for many years. Coal needs to be seen as part of the solution to our energy requirements. We must allow all our natural resources to work together to achieve our goals rather than favoring one source of energy over another.”
The following state coal associations and groups signed to the above response:
- Randy Eminger, Executive Director, Energy Policy Network
- Nick Williams, President, Illinois Coal Association
- Brian Somers, President, Utah Mining Association
- Tucker Davis, President, Kentucky Coal Association
- Ed Spiker, Chairman of the Board, Ohio Coal Association
- Rachel Gleason, President, Pennsylvania Coal Alliance
- Jon Ford, President, Reliable Energy, Inc. (Indiana)
- Judy Colgan, Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Mining Institute
- Chuck Laine, President, Tennessee Mining Association
- Travis Deti, Executive Director, Wyoming Mining Association
- Krissy Lilljedlahl, Texas Mining Association
- Chris Hamilton, President, West Virginia Coal Association
- Emily Arthun, American Coal Council