By Taylor Kuykendall, Reporter

An opponent once used his willingness to work with the Environmental Protection Agency as a weakness, but West Virginia's senior House representative says he is now convinced the federal agency will not work with the state.

The EPA recently released new standards for coal-fired power plants that would restrict carbon dioxide emissions. The limits would essentially mean no new coal-fired generation will be built without technology to capture carbon dioxide.

Nick Rahall, the top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure and former head of the Natural Resources Committee, said the EPA has not been reasonable in their approach. While he has not always been in agreement with the EPA, Rahall said he thought he has long thought it would be possible to work with the EPA.

CHARLESTON (AP) — West Virginia's congressional delegation joined Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin on Wednesday in bashing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over a plan to limit heat-trapping pollution from new power plants, calling it a job-killer for the state and its coal industry.

The rule announced Tuesday could either derail or jump-start plans for 15 new coal-fired power plants in 10 states, depending on when they start construction. Eventually, all coal-fired power plants would need to install equipment to capture half of their carbon pollution.

Tomblin said it's clear the Obama administration is trying to "end the use of coal as we know it." The proposed guidelines would eliminate jobs and drive up electricity costs in West Virginia, he said.

By Pam Kasey

The price of natural gas will have to be five times what it is today before another coal-fired power plant will be built in the U.S.

That's Howard Herzog's reaction to the power plant greenhouse gas emissions rule proposed March 27 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Herzog is senior research engineer at the MIT Energy Initiative and its Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technologies program.

Every coal-fired power plant proposed in the U.S. from now on will have to capture carbon dioxide, or CO2, and store it away if the cumbersomely named "Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions for New Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units" rule is implemented.

"Based on the rule, I don't think anyone would consider building a new coal plant unless the price of gas gets above $10 per million British thermal units," Herzog said. "Today it's close to $2."

SteelGuru
Gov Earl Ray Tomblin who urged EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to admit that they have gone too far said that "This is a huge victory for West Virginia and our coal miners.” He said that "Issue our permits so that we can put our people back to work and ...

Read More

Beckley Register-Herald
“I think it would be cool to have a coal miners' car,” he said. “Throughout my career, I haven't seen any sponsorship with a coal miner (logo). I think it will be a good thing for the Miners and for West Virginia (NASCAR) fans and Virginia fans, ...

Read More