Trump, Coal, and Lies
If anyone is in a position to comment on the strength of the U.S. coal industry, it would be Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America (pictured). That’s what makes the contrast in the following set of comments so stark:
Trump at a West Virginia rally, bragging that he saved the coal industry: “We are back. The coal industry is back.”
Roberts: “Coal’s not back. Nobody saved the coal industry.
The truth: More coal-fired power plant shutdown under Trump in his first two years in office than in Obama’s entire first term.
Of course, Trump is hardly to blame for being unable to resuscitate coal, given that market forces have rendered the operation of these plants uncompetitive vs. natural gas and renewables.
And, given that Trump lies constantly, even when there is no benefit in doing so, none of this is at all surprising. But wow, doesn’t stuff like this make his supporters cringe? Don’t these people put any value on honesty? Bizarre.
Craig,
That’s what comes of reading too many ‘Never Trump’ publications, it becomes hazardous to your powers of reasoning!
The President is quite correct when he says he has revived the US coal industry.
Cecil Roberts is also correct when he supports claims US coal fired generation is facing a difficult time operating an ancient, old fleet long due for retirement and very neglected and run down during the Obama years.
It’s also true US domestic coal fired generating capacity has intense rivalry from cheap Natural Gas, and this has deterred utilities to investment in building new coal fired plants.
But the President has revitalized the coal mining industry. The President’s incentives and support has created a boom in n employment and investment in the US coal export sector, replacing the loss of US domestic consumption and providing a platform for when Natural Gas prices increase and coal is once again more economically competitive.
The more desperate the claims, the less and less credibility…….
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