Obama energy blindspot---coal produces more electricity then next two sources combined

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Obama’s Energy Blind Spot
Posted by ACCCE at 12:53 pm, March 06, 2012

By Lisa Camooso Miller

Since giving the State of the Union address in January, President Obama regularly revisits the idea of an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy. However, he continues to omit coal—America’s dominant source of energy—from this list. The Washington Times has noticed, saying that President Obama “seems to have abandoned his stated support for the coal industry and clean-coal technology.” It says:

In the first three years of his presidency, Mr. Obama consistently included coal whenever speaking about the need to harness all of America’s multiple energy resources. But as environmental regulations have ramped up against the coal industry this year, the president has not mentioned coal in remarks or speeches…

…Most recently, during a speech devoted to energy policy Thursday in New Hampshire, Mr. Obama advocated “an all-of-the-above strategy that develops every single source of American energy,” but he made no mention of coal.

This is happening while regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency further threaten the stability of electricity in America. As an editorial in today’s Washington Times says:

In December, the agency announced new regulations limiting mercury emissions that will force many power plants out of business within four years.

Companies that stay in business will have to install expensive equipment that will drive up consumers’ monthly electric bills. The average retail price of electricity in America already has climbed 46 percent since 1997, says the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

It’s time for the President to show voice his support for coal. Look at the facts: Coal provides more electricity than America’s next two energy sources combined, it’s used to generate electricity in 48 states and this country has more coal reserves than any other country in the world. What more do you need to prove that coal is an essential component in an “all-of-the-above” energy policy in America?

06 March 2012, 12:53 pm | Posted in Affordability, National Affairs, Policy and Legislation, Reliability
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