A Charleston Gazette article about a poll by the Civil Society on the future of coal-fired electric plants suggests that West Virginia's residents may potentially oppose new facilities.
It would be easy to dismiss the poll results as biased, particularly since they are in line with the organization's position. Yet it is also likely that the answers may reflect a serious and all-too-common misunderstanding of the issues.
As a Princeton lecturer recently said in challenging listeners to raise the nation's energy IQ: "The problem with dealing with coal is that no one knows we use coal for electricity."
Look in your own newsroom and homes: each computer uses the equivalent of three pounds of coal a day. If you surveyed editors and reporters (or even science teachers) about how much coal they use, it is very likely that the most common answer would be, "We don't use coal anymore, we have electricity." In fact, the average American probably has no idea that they use the equivalent of about 21 pounds of coal a day to generate the electricity they need just to go about their daily lives.
Even in coal-reliant West Virginia, many people outside of the related industries are not aware of this dependence and the serious negative consequences of having coal-fired electricity kicked out from under the state.
There are several reasons why new coal-fired generation facilities must be part of our energy future.
First, there is supply. Coal generation is now responsible for more than half of the nation's electricity and for 97 percent in West Virginia. Alternatives such as wind and solar power simply will not generate enough power to replace coal for decades to come. Recently I was on a panel with a fellow presenter, a lifelong advocate for renewable energy, who pointed out that wind and solar energy will supply at most 5 to 6 percent of our total electricity needs for the foreseeable future.
Second, there is cost. Individuals and families already spend twice as much for energy as they did a decade ago. Coal has helped moderate energy cost inflation and still remains very competitive with oil and gas as well as alterative energy sources.
Third, there is energy independence. We often are called the Saudi Arabia of coal. It is a home-grown natural resource. As we discuss energy independence as a country, is it imperative that we consider every option within our own borders.
Fourth, there is the economy. Business and industry need competitive energy costs to thrive and to retain and create jobs. West Virginia also receives a huge economic boost from the coal industry and employment in coal-based electric generation.
Last, but certainly not least, there is the environment. If people understood how much more energy we get out of each pound of coal and how much more cleanly we do it, they would most certainly have a different opinion if asked the same types of poll questions again.
As far back as 1999, a U.S. Department of Energy report noted that the "new generation of advanced coal-based power systems" in commercial service "represents a quantum leap forward in terms of efficiency and environmental performance."
Industry in the United States has invested more than $50 billion in technologies to reduce emissions over the past 30 years, making coal-based generating 70 percent cleaner for every unit of energy produced.
Now, billions more are being invested in clean-coal technology promoting advances that will continue to have efficiency, environmental and economic benefits - including the capture and storage of greenhouse gas emissions in the coal-based electricity sector.
So in other words - as your news article pointed out - how you ask the question does make a difference. That is why it is important that all of us work together to educate our neighbors on how energy and environmental policies affect our daily lives - because the more you know, the better decisions you make.
Lucas is vice president of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity based in Alexandria, Va.