National Mining Association President and CEO Hal Quinn said that despite President Obama's push to reduce coal use by the power generation industry, coal producers should expect a warmer reception from the recently elected Congress.
In a speech at the United States Energy Association's State of the Energy Industry forum in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 12, Quinn said, "I would suggest more people now — at the eastern end of Pennsylvania Avenue — do not view carbon as a problem and certainly not one deserving of any priority treatment."
While 2010 saw the end of climate legislation in Congress, new federal regulations are now being deployed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at power plants, limit mountaintop removal mining, limit coal ash disposal and tighten safety standards at mines. New rules being developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, such as the Clean Air Transport Rule, will require costly compliance measures that areexpected to reduce the U.S. coal-burning power plant fleet by nearly one-fifth, according to consulting firm ICF.
Quinn referred to the rules as a "regulatory train wreck" and said their cumulative impact — from higher capital spending requirements to potential loss of electric generation capacity and higher energy prices — is "staggering."
After taking office in January, the newly elected Republican majority of the U.S. House of Representatives wasted little time fighting the new regulations, introducing several bills that seek to effectively handcuff the EPA from regulating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from coal-fired plants.
Quinn said he expected the issue to take "laser focus pretty soon on Capitol Hill."
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