![]() “The coal sitting there in the ground ready to be burned – that’s the best, most reliable, most resilient form of energy,” Mills told CNN.įor some Republicans, coal isn’t just a power source – it’s a cultural signifier and a rallying flag in a larger national political fight. Kentucky State Senator Robby Mills, who sponsored the bill requiring new approvals for coal plant shutdowns, said that his legislation was focused on “making sure that federal subsidies and social agendas aren’t driving the premature shutdown of fossil fuel plants.” They say that other forms of energy are less reliable, and they argue that protecting coal plants will save jobs in their states. Some of the legislators pushing the laws have received campaign donations from coal industry groups and leaders. Meanwhile, in Indiana, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming, state legislators have passed or are considering legislation that would slow closures of coal plants, allow utilities to charge ratepayers for the costs of certain federal mandates, or allocate money to pursue litigation over local and federal regulations that aim to diminish the coal industry. The state’s largest power company is now testing the new law as it moves forward with a plan to retire several coal generating units, which it says will save ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars. ![]() State legislators pushed through a similar bill this spring that would make closing coal-fired plants more challenging, over the objections of utilities. In neighboring Kentucky, a fight over protecting coal has directly pitted Republican lawmakers against the state’s biggest power companies. ![]() The bill was signed by the state’s governor, Jim Justice, whose huge family fortune comes from the coal industry. “There’s little to nothing they can do to permanently stop the trend that’s moving away from coal.”Ī new law passed in West Virginia in recent months requires utilities that want to close coal plants to get approval from a state panel that includes former coal lobbyists – one of whom led the West Virginia Coal Association for nearly 30 years. “Policymakers really need to recognize that coal is not competitive,” O’Boyle said. A report his firm released earlier this year found that it would be cheaper to switch 99% of coal plants around the US to renewable energy sources than it would be to keep them running. New federal environmental regulations and incentives for renewable energy passed by the Biden administration are expected to accelerate the trend.Ĭonsidering the mounting costs to operate aging coal plants, the pivot away from coal is increasingly “a no-brainer for utilities and customers,” argued Michael O’Boyle, a senior director at the consulting firm Energy Innovation Policy & Technology. While natural gas and renewable prices have fluctuated in recent years amid impacts from the war in Ukraine, supply chain issues and inflation, experts say coal is typically more expensive than the alternatives. ![]() Republican legislators and state officials are making it harder for power companies to retire coal plants even when it makes clear economic sense to do so – propping up the ailing industry at the cost of higher energy prices for their constituents. Coal plants that have powered America for generations are increasingly on the chopping block, as utilities around the country move to take advantage of new federal incentives and turn to often-cheaper alternatives like natural gas and renewables.īut in some of the most coal-dependent states, there’s something standing in the way: state lawmakers. ![]()
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