Whitfield Talks to Area Leaders about Coal

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Hopkinsville, defended coal -- which he and many others in Kentucky say is under siege -- during remarks Monday to officials with the Barren River Area Development District.

Short on words because he had another meeting, Whitfield said he feels the country is moving away from coal too quickly considering that renewable sources of energy are not yet developed enough.

"America is the only country where you can't build a new coal-fired plant," Whitfield said. "In fact, in the summer of 2015, there will be new regulations that mean even existing coal power plants will shut down."

Whitfield did not mention that two coal-fired generation units in his 1st Congressional District will be closing. Tennessee Valley Authority will convert two of its coal units in Muhlenberg County to natural gas power. TVA will still have one coal unit there, but expects to eliminate a couple of hundred jobs at the site.

Whitfield said those who want to regulate the extinction of coal plants have pointed to Europe's move toward renewables. But that example is flawed, he said, because power companies there have lost significant value because of the cost of moving to renewable sources of energy. That loss in value has turned Europe "upside down," he said.

Now, countries there are building new coal plants and in 2012, European countries received about 45 percent of the United States' coal exports. European countries realized they were building too fast in the wrong direction, Whitfield said.

Whitfield said "Obamacare" continues to present its challenges, but he still is optimistic that the country can succeed. It's Congress' job to help stimulate the economy and create jobs, he said.

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