The world press is full of articles today about the use and growth of coal as a stable and reliable energy source around the globe. These news accounts range from the dire need of many foreign countries to purchase coal at record high prices, to reactivating coal plants formerly closed to replenish base load power supplies in the face of unprecedented global energy shortage.
Media sources also highlight China’s recent announcement that they plan to build out more new coal plants than what currently exist in the United States to meet their future energy needs. At the same time, the same media outlets would like the US and West Virginia to adopt energy strategies tailored around the very failed intermittent power sources that have failed to deliver created the crisis that has certain areas of the country paying astoundingly high-power bills and Europeans stockpiling firewood to keep warm.
Recent news accounts also highlight West Virginia’s high degree of coal dependence for producing electricity which translates directly into our state having one of the least expensive and most reliable energy systems and ability to export base load power to our surrounding states and the region.
Uniquely, the value and sheer strength of West Virginia’s base load energy system provides unparalleled superiority over any other system in any other place in the world today. In this regard, the role of West Virginia-produced coal becomes more critical to electric reliability, homeland security, and national defense systems than ever before.
Warning after warning has been recently issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the North American Reliability Commission (NERC) and regional grid operators that we are moving too fast with our quest to adopt “carbon free” energy systems. Throughout the US, there is an increased risk of major power disruptions and loss of power this winter. And, when household and commercial power supplies are impacted for even short periods of time, near catastrophic consequences quickly emerge.
When the coerced energy strategy propagated by President Biden and national political leaders comes crashing down on our great country, West Virginia will be looked upon as the envy of the world.
Experts agree that we are moving too fast towards a carbon free environment, and everyone concurs that we need to retain a certain percentage of base load generation that only coal can provide today.
Coal and Carbon fuels – built our great country into the superpower it has been throughout our lifetime and should not be removed completely from our energy mix. China and India certainly understand. Europe is quickly understanding that coal is literally a lifesaver.
While we should applaud the reductions made in carbon emissions and recognize the innovations and technologies at play that will advance everyone’s quest for diverse energy supplies, we must acknowledge the realities of physics and constraints of manufacturing electricity.
With the events in Europe and energy shortages being forecast right here in the U.S., it should be increasingly clear that policies from the extreme climate fear mongers, the woke ESG promoters and the “carbon free” delusions they advocate are a formula for a dystopian disaster.
Our present energy system, largely built around our coal resources, keeps of thousands of West Virginians gainfully employed. Our communities are filled with coal dollars which keep them energized and vibrant. Our education system and public works generally are well funded, and all fifty-five counties continue to receive coal severance payments to fund important local programs for our seniors, the less fortunate, and others.
When it comes to manufacturing electricity, coal is still the best deal going. Not only does it produce baseload power, but it is also half the price of power purchases off the energy market, more than half the price of intermittent power sources i.e., wind and solar when federal tax credits are factored in and considerably less expensive than natural gas, which has skyrocketed in price over the past two years.
This great state institution – the coal industry – is not only the foundation of our great state and it also stands ready to secure and protect West Virginia’s economy and reliable power systems for many decades to come. It is worthy of every penny of future investment and should be nurtured so coal can continue to do more for our state and region.