Posted on 06/16/2015 10:15:56 AM PDT by SoConPubbie
By 2016which happens to be a presidential election yearAmerican Electric Power Co. (AEP) will have retired more than 6,000 MW of coal-fired power plants. Last week, AEP CEO Nick Akins told a crowd during the Edison Electric Institutes (EEIs) Annual Convention that AEPs retired coal generation will not be resurrected because the U.S. is moving to a clean energy economy and thats what electricity customers want.
I had a chance to meet up with Texas Sen. and Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz on June 13 in Oklahoma City, so I asked him his thoughts on upcoming EPA regulations that already are affecting electric utilities such as AEP.
(click here to read previous coverage of the Republican candidates for president and their statements on energy policy)
The Obama administrations EPA has been unbelievably abusive and it is killing jobs across this country, Cruz said. The EPA listen, everyone wants clean air and clean water. All of us breathe, all of us drink water. It is in our best interest to be good stewards of the environment. The Obama EPA is populated by zealots who arent trying to protect the air and water; theyre trying to shut down development. So weve seen for example, you asked about coalthere is a war on coal being waged by the Obama administration. And lets be clear. President Obama was very candid. He said we will bankrupt every coal mine in America. He didnt hide what theyre doing. So these regulations are not about clear air or clean water. These are zealots who are trying to shut down development and the energy sector. And in particular, the oil and gas industry, something that is near and dear to the great state of Oklahoma, near and dear to the great state of Texas.
The Obama administration continues to do everything it can to throw impediments in the way to developing our natural resources. That doesnt make any sense at all. Were experiencing an energy renaissance. We ought to be facilitating that rather than having the federal government frustrate it. No. 1, there are enormous national security benefits to American energy independence. We dont need to be sending billions of dollars to foreign countries in the Middle East, many of whom hate us. We should be relying on our own resources.
And beyond that, at a time when were facing economic stagnation, what an incredible opportunity to continue to generate millions of high-paying jobsnot just in the energy sectorbut in manufacturing. You know, look at the blue-collar jobs, the heavy manufacturing, steel industrythe kind of jobs that were the backbone of the American middle class for decades. Those are the ones that have gone overseas. We had the opportunity to bring heavy manufacturing back to America; bring the steel industry back to America; compete with foreign countries like China, not based on low-cost labor. Lord knows we dont want to compete based on low-cost laborcompete based on abundant energy resources we have here. And so everyone here agrees we want to protect our air and water, but we shouldnt be handing over regulation to zealots.
Id love to talk to Hillary Clinton and any other presidential hopefuls, too. All of the candidates have open invitations to discuss their energy policies with Electric Light & Power.
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I never understood why the country wasn’t up in arms with a president who specifically said he was out to destroy a segment of our economy. How much more tyrannical can you get?
Plus, when those middle-aged in WVa and PA get laid off, where are they going to go? They likely have a family and house and can’t just pick up and move elsewhere very easily.
Saving the coal industry will save the jobs. And by extension the local and state economy.
In before the CDS (Cruz Derangement Syndrome) crowd vent their spleen?
We have the technology to burn coal and natural far cleaner than even China could ever achieve. Why not take full advantage of it as part of the plan to revive the US economy?
On coal? I guess that’s better than “on Marijuana” though it would leave soot on one’s face,
“the U.S. is moving to a clean energy economy and thats what electricity customers want.”
I just want cheap rates. I don’t think most customers are wanting anything different.
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