CHARLESTON, W.Va. ─ The West Virginia Coal Association is condemning a final attempt by the Obama Administration to end coal mining in the United States.

Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior released final revisions to federal mining regulations- the latest in a long list of executive actions intended to stop American coal mining.

“This so-called ‘Stream Protection Rule’ is actually a coal-industry-killer rule,” said Bill Raney, president of the Coal Association, which represents the majority of coal companies operating in West Virginia. “Our coal companies and their miners and families do not deserve this final salvo in President Obama’s War on Coal. To call this an unwelcome Christmas present is a big understatement.”

The Coal Association is pleased with the selection of Mr. Pruitt and we look forward to working with EPA under the leadership of the new administrator to return the nation's environmental regulatory programs to the appropriate balance of authority between the federal government and individual state agencies.

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has worked with Pruitt on the state's fight against federal overreach, so we are confident the EPA will be in the hands of someone who will examine all aspects of environmental protection, including the impact regulations have on our state's coal miners.

It's clear based on Pruitt's experiences in Oklahoma that he has an appreciation for our frustrations in West Virginia where the authority of the democratically elected state legislature and the governor was assumed by unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats that colluded with anti-coal extremist organizations to restrict our nation's coal production.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Coal Association is cheering President-Elect Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 General Election.

“This election outcome is more than West Virginia’s coal industry could have hoped for,” said Coal Association President Bill Raney. “Not only will Congress stay in the leadership hands of those who understand coal’s importance to the American economy, but we finally will have a chief executive who hears us and cares about us in West Virginia.”

While coal production in West Virginia likely will not return to the record productions levels prior to the 2008, Raney said the industry outlook shows signs of improving.

“We’ve seen some modest increases in coal pricing, but the thought of seeing the completely ill-advised and unwarranted regulatory attacks from Washington go away gives us every reason to be hopeful about West Virginia’s coal industry,” Raney said. “We have a lot of miners and workers in supporting businesses who are out of work right now. We look forward to working with the Trump Administration and the 115^th Congress to get our folks back to work.”

Raney says West Virginia coal production provides vital raw materials for America’s manufacturing base and electric grid security. Coal-fired power is the most affordable and reliable baseload material available, he said. 

“Worldwide coal demand is projected to grow for at least the next few decades,” Raney said. “We look forward to working with Governor-elect Jim Justice and his new administration to capitalize on this opportunity for growth with a renewed focus on coal and energy issues in West Virginia.”

In shocking style, Donald Trump has won the 2016 Presidential election by winning the State of Pennsylvania and garnering 276 electoral votes compared to Hillary Clinton’s 218.

On the state level, Jim Justice (D) will be West Virginia’s 36th Governor having defeated Senate President and Lt Governor Bill Cole (R) by a 49 – 42% margin while State Republicans maintain control over the state legislature by adding to its current majority in the Senate and maintaining a plus sixty (60) advantage in the House of Delegates.

State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey won reelection and WVCA-endorsed, executive office candidates Mac Warner, JB McCuskey, and Kent Leonhardt were successful in their bids to join General  Morrisey on the Board of Public Works as Secretary of State, Auditor and Agriculture Commissioner respectively. 

All three incumbent congressional representatives -- David McKinley, Evan Jenkins and Alex Mooney easily won reelection and the Presidential race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton remains undecided as Trump continues to gain ground in traditional Democratic states.

A more detailed analysis of state and federal races will be prepared later today.  If yo have any questions, please give one of us a call at 304-342-4153.

Mon Power & Potomac Edison Invest in Upgrades at Harrison and Fort Martin Power Stations Companies: Will Keep Coal Plants Working

CHARLESTON – Earlier this year, the West Virginia Legislature passed a bill that allowed utility companies to fast-track recovery of costs for upgrades to existing power plants if the upgrades help keep West Virginia coal miners working.

The bill is already doing what was intended.

FirstEnergy subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison recently submitted a request to the Public Service Commission of West Virginia (PSC) to recover costs for environmental control projects that support the long-term operation of Harrison and Fort Martin Power Stations.

The upgrades are part of FirstEnergy's investments in emissions control at Harrison and Fort Martin that allow the plants to meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations.  These investments will allow the plants to continue generating low-emitting and affordable electricity, providing well-paying jobs, and contributing significant tax income to surrounding communities.