CHARLESTON, W.Va. ─ Through the passage of various pieces of mining-related legislation, the West Virginia Legislature and Governor Justice showcased their support for coal miners and coal-fired power plant workers during the 2021 Legislative Session.
“We are so very grateful for the recognition displayed by the Legislature and Governor Justice of the importance of West Virginia’s coal economy,” said Chris Hamilton, President of the West Virginia Coal Association. “The mining and coal-fired power generation industries remain one of the largest economic generators in the state and state policy leaders recognized that fact through passage of Senate Bill 542, Senate Bill 718 and Senate Bill 677, among others.”
A lot has happened in a relatively short period of time since President Biden was sworn into office last month.
The Keystone XL pipeline was stopped by Presidential Executive Order, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals struck down President Trump’s Affordable Clean Energy Plan and the country witnessed the collapse of Texas’s power system, comprised of a high percentage of wind, solar and natural gas, when extreme weather blanketed the Lone Star state.
Dear Madame Vice President:
Congratulations on your election victory and thank you for your service to the United States.
We watched with interest your recent interview on WSAZ television, which covers central-southern West Virginia, in late January. During the interview you highlighted the President’s “American Rescue Plan” and its goal of defeating COVID-19, providing relief to families, lifting children out of poverty, and creating jobs. These are admirable and necessary goals, and we applaud the Administration’s pursuit of them.
During the interview you highlighted the Administration’s strategy for rebuilding our economy, which included transitioning coal miners to jobs rebuilding our infrastructure and transferring their unique skill set to jobs in clean energy.
As the clock strikes midnight on the year 2020, we are hopeful that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is near, and we pray for the safety and health of all Americans.
While the pandemic and market forces contributed to record low coal production in 2020, the industry has experienced modest recovery over the past three and a half years under the Trump Administration.
The Administration, to include leadership in the US Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, has worked to place the industry on stable regulatory footing, protect the industry’s electric generation market share, and engaged in research and development of new technologies to extend the viability of this vital resource. As an industry, we are thankful for these efforts.
