“Change is no stranger to the coal industry,” said Senator Byrd in a statement released today, which emphasized the need to shift West Virginia’s economy away from mountaintop removal mining and towards renewable energy. As the United States builds a lower-carbon economy, Byrd recognizes the importance of West Virginia developing industry beyond coal. Byrd referred to West Virginia as a clean energy innovator, citing the largest wind power facility in the eastern United States and three wood pellet plants as examples.
“Mountaintop removal mining, a declining national demand for energy, rising mining costs and erratic spot market prices all add up to fewer jobs in the coal fields,” said Byrd, who was raised in southern West Virginia before becoming the longest serving senator in United States history.
Senator Byrd’s record of favoring mountaintop removal as economically advantageous furthers the significance of today’s statement.
Byrd still supports the use of coal power and favors so-called “clean coal technology.” He has been working with a group of Democratic senators from coal-producing states in drafting provisions that will help the industry lessen their carbon footprint.
“These include increasing funding for clean coal projects and easing emission standards and timelines, setting aside billions of dollars for coal plants that install new technology and continue using coal,” said Byrd in his statement.
Update, 12/4/09:
“Increasing funding for clean coal projects and easing emission standards and timelines, setting aside billions of dollars for coal plants that install new technology and continue using coal,” is wrong-headed. Coal is filthy, there’s no way around it. Especially as long as coal slurry is produced. Easing emission standards is no way into the future, but a step backward. Giving billions of dollars to an already wealthy industry, for whatever purpose, is misplaced. All this money would be much better spent transitioning communities where coal is mined to more diverse economies with local control–not more outside industry that is unlikely to have the local communities’ welfare at heart.
Given Mr Byrd’s age and condition, I have wonder if this is really his words or that of his staff. I would be interested to see this statement on video.
Yeah it’s not that he is at all in care. If so he would be defending all the goofs who made him a career politician. One who has lobbied for more federal tax dollars to have his name on every building in the state. Oh wait Watcher he was just praying.
Yeah lets all just listen to Byrd….You folks will believe anything anyone says….Byrd needs to give it a rest and let someone else step in his place times have changed and he is just too old to be making such decisions anylonger.