Charleston, W.Va. – Chris Hamilton, president and chief executive officer of the West Virginia Coal Association offers the following statement regarding the mining industry’s position on the West Virginia Public Service Commission’s hearing today to extend the lifespan of three American Electric Power coal-fired power plants.
“West Virginia’s mining industry fully supports the West Virginia Public Service Commission’s (WV PSC) August 14th decision that unconditionally approved AEP’s request to comply with federally mandated environmental requirements at the John Amos, Mountaineer and Mitchell coal-fired power plants and we fully support AEP’s request for full cost recovery.
Seeking realistic reductions in carbon emissions is a noteworthy cause and is shared by many state students, residents and businesses.
To the surprise of some, the coal industry is part of this movement and, together with our in-state electric utilities, have made substantial gains over time and reductions that have placed our energy assets among the best in the world.
During recent times, much of airborne contaminants have been eliminated, while the amount of coal used to manufacture electricity for a household has tripled. This is a phenomenal and noteworthy achievement.
