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This summary is part of Beyond the Beltway: A Report on State Energy and Climate Policies produced by the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at Berkeley Law
You cannot question the dedication of these two states to coal. Kentucky gets 87% of its energy from coal, about 6% from natural gas, and 4% from hydro. West Virginia stands at 94% coal, 2% each of wind and hydro, and 1% natural gas. In both cases, electricity generation is down somewhat since the turn of the century. In West Virginia, the Republicans have commanding majorities in both houses of the legislature, and Governor Jim Jordan recently switched his affiliation to the GOP. The Republicans gained unified control in Kentucky in 2016 by taking a majority in the General Assembly.
Yet there are glimmers of change even in these two states. A sign of the times: Fox News has reported, without comment, that the Kentucky Coal Museum is installing solar panels to save money.[1] This is part of a substantive trend of shifts in power production in traditional coal states. For instance, in West Virginia, Appalachian Power has closed three coal plants and converted two to natural gas, reducing its coal-fired generation from 74% in 2012 to 61% in 2017. In response to an inquiry from the Governor, the company said it has no plans to build another coal plant. In Kentucky, the Public Service Commission has advised companies about offering renewable energy packages in order to attract large corporations, many of which have strong green energy programs.[2]
These coal-producing states are still heavily dependent on coal for power. And the political pressure to stick with coal is strong. Nonetheless, coal is slowly losing ground, even in the places where it is most prized.
- “Kentucky Coal Mining Museum Switches to Solar Power,” Fox News (April 6, 2017), http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/04/06/kentucky-coal-mining-museum-switches-to-solar-power.html.
- Diane Cardwell and Clifford Krauss, “Coal Country’s Power Plants are Turning Away from Coal,” NY Times (May 26, 2017), https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/business/energy-environment/coal-power- renewable-energy.html.