"Personal income has gone down in several Eastern Kentucky counties where coal employment has been decimated in recent years, according to a report from the Appalachian Regional Commission," Bill Estep reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader. "Studies have cited competition from cheap natural gas for electricity generation as the biggest factor in coal’s decline, though other factors have played a role, including efforts to beef up environmental rules in the Obama administration and the rise of renewable energy such as wind power."
There has been no significant increase in coal jobs in Kentucky during President Trump's tenure, and the report "shows that the average unemployment rate went down across the region over the last three years, but that the gap widened between the rate in Appalachia and the rest of the country, showing employment in the region is not improving as quickly as in the nation," Estep reports.
Trump's newly announced replacement for the Obama-era Clean Power Plan aims to narrow that gap that by softening regulations on coal-fired power plants, but experts are skeptical that it will have much impact because gas and renewables are increasingly competitive with coal.
3 comments:
Funny, on my way across Index Hill last Saturday, I passed five loaded coal trucks on U.S. 460 where there were hardly any operating over the past two or three years. Five coal haulers on the job where for the past few years there were virtually none. Where do you guys get this negative stuff?i
Earl Kinner, Editor
Licking Valley Courier
West Liberty
Earl, we use reliable, sourced information only. Here are just two of the sources used in this item: http://energy.ky.gov/Coal%20Facts%20Library/Kentucky%20Quarterly%20Coal%20Report%20(Q2-2018).pdf
https://www.arc.gov/appalachian_region/countyeconomicstatusanddistressedareasinappalachia.asp
While several mines have been opened or reopened in Central Appalachia, the region remains the most expensive place in the nation to mine coal, so overall employment has remained more or less stable.
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