And They Said There is No War on Coal!

This past Tuesday President Obama, again through regulation over legislation, unveiled new tighter rules for power plants that will include a push for more restrictive green building codes and costly restrictions on household appliances.

The economy of Ohio, the state that is America’s 4^th-largest user of coal, faces a grave threat from these proposed EPA regulations that would halt coal use in existing electric power plants and prevent the building of new coal-burning plants.

That’s a dangerous move with the economy still struggling to recover, especially in Ohio where an enormous share of our power – 78 percent – is generated with coal (nationwide, the share is 43 percent).

The rules will kill many of the 27,000 Ohio jobs dependent on the coal industry. Not to mention the devastating impact on jobs and the economy in other coal producing and coal dependent states. Business and residential utility customers will certainly face greater risk of electricity price spikes as we rely for power generation more on natural gas (with its historically volatile price) and less on coal (with its historically stable, lower prices).

While it is vital to the future of our country that we use our natural resources to diversify our energy portfolio, it is only prudent to allow the technology of these other sources to grow through free market investment by the private sector – not government mandates.

Advancing technology already allows utilities to burn coal cleaner than in the past. Soon, coal-fired power plants that emit virtually no carbon dioxide will be feasible. But with President Obama & his EPA continuing their War on Coal by trying to make air cleaner than God himself ever intended, that will never be allowed to happen.

For highlights of President Obama's new plan to cut carbon, click here.  For a PDF of the complete action plan (assault), click here.