Dear Editor:
For decades, Pennsylvania’s coal industry has powered the nation. Coal accounts for 36,000 good-paying jobs and supports 40 percent of our annual electric generation. The industry has not only provided family-sustaining wages for hardworking citizens, but also provided a stable electricity market for consumers. I have serious concerns that the EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan for Existing Sources will have a chilling effect on the industry and result in electricity rate spikes that local families cannot afford.
At the state level, Pennsylvania lawmakers have pursued an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy that maintains traditional fuel sources while supporting clean and renewable alternative fuel sources. This strategy has served the state well, resulting in measurable emission reductions of regulated pollutants, including carbon. It has also resulted in consumers having reliable, predictably priced electricity. The federal government would do well to study Pennsylvania’s energy standards and pursue a similar approach.
As currently proposed, the EPA’s plan would have the practical effect of displacing coal from Pennsylvania’s electric portfolio. The swift movement away from coal will disrupt the flow of electricity and create an unpredictable market with no chance of stability. In addition to hurting local families who rely on coal jobs, it could create rate spikes as suppliers are forced to rely on more expensive fuel sources.
The coal industry has been a staple of our local economy for generations. Relying on coal and working toward clean and renewable energy are not mutually exclusive goals. I hope that the EPA abandons its current flawed strategy and instead adopts a more reasonable policy that works to reduce pollution without turning its back on one of the most reliable, affordable fuel sources we can produce domestically.
Senator David G. Argall (R-29)
10-3-14