Changes to coal regulations could boost the industry, an economic staple in Southwest Virginia. Photo by AdobeStock
Changes to coal regulations could boost the industry, an economic staple in Southwest Virginia. Photo by AdobeStock
Summary
Southwest Virginia officials say President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at revitalizing the United States’ struggling coal industry will be a boon to the region.
This spring, Trump signed the “Unleashing American Energy” series of executive orders, which lifted barriers to coal mining on federal lands, allowed some coal-fired facilities scheduled for retirement to continue producing electricity and granted coal-fired plants a two-year exemption from federal regulations reducing emissions of certain toxic chemicals. U.S. coal production was at 1 billion tons in 2014 but dropped to 578 million tons by 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Trump has emphasized boosting coal production as a way to secure the nation’s economic prosperity and national security, while lowering the cost of living and meeting increased electrical demands from emerging technologies. Critics argue that coal is outdated, costly and dangerous, citing illnesses like black lung disease, as well as the fact it contributes to climate change.
The Trump administration‘s support is welcomed in Southwest Virginia, where coal remains an economic staple.
“Trump has always been favorable to the coal industry, and the executive orders will have a very big benefit on the region,” says Jonathan S. Belcher, the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority’s executive director and general counsel. “Coal is the most important industry in southwestern Virginia. Even if the executive orders don’t cause the industry to grow, at least it will be able to sustain itself.”
According to Belcher, the coal industry pays the highest wages in the region, with typical salaries topping $100,000 annually — twice the average pay of other industries in the region.
Ben Beakes, president of the Metallurgical Coal Producers Association, says regulatory changes noted in the executive orders allowing certain coal-fired plants to comply with a more lenient version of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule would make the industry more predictable when it comes to enforcement and permitting.
Most of the coal produced in Virginia is metallurgical coal used in making steel. Beakes says changes in coal regulations would not necessarily increase production of metallurgical coal but would prevent industry struggles that have limited production.
“The industry has been on a rocky road for the past several years as presidential administration changes created unpredictable, confusing regulations,” he says. “Now we’re able to level the playing field.”
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