HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 91

(By Delegates Eldridge, Perry, R. Phillips,

                    Tomblin, Barker and Moye)

Expressing the continued concern of the West Virginia House of Delegates about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants to the President of the United States. These regulations amount to a direct attack on America’s most abundant natural resource – coal.

    Whereas, Coal is integral to the economic livelihood of hundreds of thousands of West Virginians. From the coalfields of southern West Virginia to the state’s eastern panhandle, connected by hundreds of miles of rail lines, individuals and local governments depend on coal for their continued existence; and

    Whereas, Coal taxes provide a significant portion of school funding in southern West Virginia. A direct side-effect of these regulations will be a reduction in education funding in an area of the country that needs it the most; and

    Whereas, Coal provides a significant amount of West Virginia’s electricity, and the low-cost power it produces has helped West Virginia to become a leading manufacturing state. Coal-generated electricity also benefits West Virginia families by keeping their utility bills low. But future emissions standards from the EPA will jeopardize the affordable, reliable power and economic benefits that coal brings to millions of West Virginians; and

    Whereas, The EPA’s proposed regulations of power-plant carbon dioxide emissions are a de facto ban on coal-fired power plants in the United States. Utilities across the country have invested tens of billions of dollars to bring coal-fired power plants into compliance with current EPA regulations. Advances in high-efficiency coal technology can further reduce carbon dioxide emissions by forty percent. By increasing emission standards to unrealistic levels, the EPA would jeopardize this investment and the reliability of the nation’s power grid; and

    Whereas, With the EPA’s recent decision to reconsider the pending rule, it is important that any new proposal reflect emission standards that are realistically achievable by currently available best-in-class generation technologies; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the House of Delegates:

    That the West Virginia House of Delegates hereby strongly urges the President of the United States to reject policies that would further harm coal-based electricity generation that provides our residents and businesses the affordable, reliable power they need to prosper. With thoughtful policies we can address emissions while ensuring our nation’s continued prosperity and economic competitiveness through the continued use of America’s most abundant energy resource – coal; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates forward a certified copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, members of the United States Senate representing West Virginia, members of the West Virginia congressional delegation, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate and the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.