Fossil fuel power plants still generate 60% of the electricity supply in the United States. However, the latest Biden administration EPA guidelines will reduce that even more.
The law adopted during the Obama administration really hurt the coal mining industry, which, of course, greatly affected West Virginia and Kentucky when it came to jobs.
Not only were thousands of coal mining jobs lost over the last few years, but the residual result branches out even more. The domino effect hurt the railroad, trucking, mine supply and other related coal mining companies.
These shutdowns also trickled down to the small mom-and-pop restaurants, grocery stores and even the school systems in Appalachia. Since much of the tax base from coal mining industry-related businesses went toward education, that funding is way down.
Politicians like Biden and others believe that wind and solar will produce enough electricity. I’m all for saving our great planet. But, realistically, wind and solar cannot produce the growing need our electrical grid demands.
Of course, nuclear power plants are an option, but I am not a fan of those and feel they are much more dangerous than coal-powered plants.
The issue has been politicized with most Republicans supporting coal, oil and natural gas productions and power plants.
Most democrats are concerned about the environment and climate change.
Politics needs to be left out of these kinds of topics which largely affect everyone.
The EPA released the new carbon emission rules in late April. This will pressure the U.S.’s remaining coal-fired power plants to close. It will also make it much more difficult for any future natural gas power plants to operate.
It does not take a genius to realize this will put even more of a strain on the nation’s energy grid.
We all depend on electricity. It helps keep us warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It powers our televisions and computers, charges our cell phones, cooks our meals and the list goes on.
I’m not sure about you, but I like my comfortable home and I am not ready to put in a fireplace and chop wood every day. I like watching my sports, movies and favorite TV shows while relaxing with my remote control in hand.
I like going to the refrigerator to grab a cold pop or water and warming something up quickly in the microwave.
I’m not ready to drive an electric car, especially since I know there are few charging stations – particularly in our neck of the woods. Give me a gasoline-powered vehicle any day of the week.
There needs to be a compromise. But it seems like those in the Biden administration are all or nothing.
Rich Nolan, president and CEO of the National Mining Association, said that through the latest rules, “the EPA is systematically dismantling the reliability of the U.S. electric grid.”
Why can’t we use all of the above? Coal-fired, natural gas, wind, solar power plants or whatever to generate electricity.
The real reason is to finish off the coal, oil and gas industry, even as countries like China and others continue to build coal-fired power plants.
As one Associated Press article stated, “The plan is likely to be challenged by industry groups and Republican-leaning states. They have repeatedly accused the Democratic administration of overreach on environmental regulations and have warned of a looming reliability crisis for the electric grid.”
But it just can’t happen, folks. Wind and solar power grids won’t work to keep this world going.
As my friend and fellow journalist, Hoppy Kercheval of WVMetroNews, stated, “But just proposing the rules creates even more challenges for coal and natural gas operators and power generators because of the uncertainty, while simultaneously threatening the reliability of the nation’s power grids.”
I couldn’t have said it any better, so I borrowed this comment from him.
Until next time.
(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)