Coal Alliance CEO Responds To AFL-CIO Chief's Support Of Obama Energy Policy

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Nov 05, 2012, 02:50 ET

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- John Pippy, CEO of the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance, today (Nov. 5) issued the following statement in response to comments made about the Presidential campaign by Richard Trumka, head of the AFL-CIO:

"Barack Obama says that creating and enforcing environmental standards so extreme that no company has the technology to meet them will mean cleaner air tomorrow. The problem is that Obama's energy policies are costing jobs today. In response to the 148 proposed EPA regulations directly related to the coal industry, coal operators have been forced to curtail millions of tons of production.

"During the Obama administration's last four years, coal production has decreased on the national and local levels; coal plants are closing and coal workers are losing their jobs. In 2012, U.S. coal production is down over 4% nationally, a decrease of 6% in Pennsylvania from the same period last year. Since the current administration took office in 2008, coal production in our country has declined a total of 11%, a decrease in production of over 17% in Pennsylvania.

"Already 57 power plants, 6 located in Pennsylvania, with 25.1 GW of generating capacity have already gone on the chopping block due to U-MACT and CSAPR. That means more than 29,000 workers are losing their jobs, millions of consumers will be paying more for their electricity and the reliability of our electricity supply is being compromised.

"This trend is not simply weakening our economy but also our national drive for energy independence; it's costing us good paying jobs at a time when national unemployment has hovered around 8 percent for more than 40 months.

"No matter what Barack Obama supporters may tell you, the War On Coal is not good politics, it's not good policy and it is hurting American families who have been left in the wake of this political agenda."

www.pacoalalliance.com

SOURCE Pennsylvania Coal Alliance