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Friends of Coal Message -- Please Act Today!

 

 

September 16, 2021 - Below is a message from Chris Hamilton, President & CEO, West Virginia Coal Association

At the bottom for your awareness and use is a message we sent to the Friends of Coal (FOdata base alerting them to the WVPSC reopening of the AEP Petition to upgrade their instate coal plants and the concern over Congress passing a Clean Energy Standard (CES) or Clean Energy Payment Program (CEPP).

 

We asked all FOC members to file a comment with the PSC and with Senator Manchin.

 

As proposed, the CEPP would provide monetary incentives for electric generators to increase the amount of carbon-free electricity they sell by at least 4 percent annually over an 8-year period.  Fines and penalties would also be assessed to any generator failing to meet the 4-percent requirement.

 

Both of these issues are fast tracked and will likely be decided in the next two weeks.

 

Please consider a personal response and a response on behalf of your company at your earliest opportunity. We also ask that you circulate the FOC alert to your colleagues and contacts within the industry.

 

Please give us a call with questions or for more information.

 

At the bottom for your use is a copy of talking points for the CEPP, a copy of a letter we sent to Senator Capito on the CES/CEPP and the economic Impact analysis of the state’s coal fleet and coalmining conducted earlier this year by WV economist Dr. John Deskins. The analysis provides the economic impact of each individual coal plant to its surrounding area.

 

Chris Hamilton,

President & CEO,

West Virginia Coal Association

 

 

 

 

 

There are two ongoing critical issues impacting West Virginia’s coal industry and the local jobs the industry supports warranting your personal attention and involvement!

The first issue is before Congress involving a utility buy-out plan and the other matter is

before the West Virginia Public Service Commission (WVPSC) involving three of our

state’s coal-fired power plants.  Both issues will likely be decided this month.

ISSUE 1:

Congress is considering an amendment to the Budget Reconciliation bill to include a 

Clean Energy Purchase Program (CEPP) that, like the proposed Clean Energy Standard,

will incentivize coal-fired utilities to be monetarily rewarded to transition away from fossil

energy (coal).  This issue will likely be decided in the United States Senate where

Senator Joe Manchin will be a deciding factor.

If passed, the CEPP will lead to an accelerated shut down of West Virginia’s coal mining

industry and existing fleet of coal-fired power facilities and will eliminate hundreds of

thousands of jobs across the country in the coal mining, transportation and utility industries.

Please contact Senator Joe Manchin today to express your appreciation for his

strong stance against this proposal and to encourage his continued opposition.

Contact Senator Joe Manchin by clicking here.

Issue 2:

The WVPSC has agreed to reopen AEP’s request for West Virginia to guarantee a

funding mechanism so it can proceed with environmental compliance at the John Amos,

Mountaineer and Mitchell coal-fired power plants so they can continue to operate past 2028.

The utilities plans were thwarted when regulators in Kentucky and Virginia did not approve

all relevant upgrades.

The WVPSC is accepting public comments now and has scheduled an evidentiary hearing

for 9:30 on September 24 at the WVPSC headquarters in Charleston.

We ask all Friends of Coal to please submit a comment “in support of all upgrades

and cost recovery” for AEP and if your schedule permits, to personally attend the PSC

hearing in Charleston on September 24th.

To submit a comment, click here

  1. Once on the website, click the dropdown menu under “select a high-profile case”
  2. Choose case number:  20-1040-E-CN in the search box and click “search”
  3. Check the box that reads, “I support this case”, and then enter your comments and contact information

Both of these issues pose a serious and immediate threat to our industry so we must stand

up and speak out for Coal today!

 

Thank you for your ongoing support and assistance.

CEPP Talking Points

Impact of Coal Mining & Coal-Fired Power Generation

Shelley Moore Capito CES