More Than 400 Prominent Democrats Sign Letter Supporting Coal

Published December 16, 2013

More than 400 Democratic public officials and party leaders signed a letter sent to the White House asking President Barack Obama to accelerate rather than stifle coal production and utilization.

The Democratic leaders sent the letter under the auspices of the CoalBlue Project. CoalBlue is comprised of Democratic Party public officials seeking a “broad, bipartisan, and unwavering commitment to coal as a sustainable fuel” while and advocating “accelerated development and deployment” of coal technologies.

Coal an ‘Engine of Economic Activity’
“As Democrats dedicated to a prosperous America and a clean environment, we encourage the adoption of policies within the framework of your clean energy agenda that accelerate the development and deployment of sustainable coal,” the letter states. “We write to you not as representatives of any industry or special interest, but as elected representatives of the American people and as members and leaders of the Democratic Party.”

“Coal is an engine of economic activity and growth that delivers incredible social benefits. Its production is the economic lifeblood of many of the communities we represent and serve. Far more broadly, the affordable and reliable electricity it generates helps keep businesses across America running, providing jobs for millions of hard-working men and women. It has powered America to greatness, and it can and will – —in a cleaner form – —fuel us into the future,” the letter observes.

EPA Restrictions Under Pressure
The letter puts public pressure on the Obama administration to ease back Environmental Protection Agency plans to impose severe restrictions on power plant carbon dioxide emissions that would make it impossible to build any new coal power plants.

Partial List of Signees
Newly elected Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is one of the more high-profile Democrats to sign the letter. U.S. Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes, who is currently Kentucky Secretary of State, also signed the letter.

Other signees include:

U.S. Senate candidate and West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant,

Former Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal,

Former Wyoming Governor Mike Sullivan,

Kentucky House of Representatives Speaker Greg Stumbo,

Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Rickey Cole,

Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway,

Kentucky State Treasurer Todd Hollenbach,

Kentucky House of Representatives Majority Leader Rocky Adkins,

Kentucky Democratic Party Chairman Don Logsdon,

West Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Larry Puccio

West Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore Larry Edgell,

Former Indiana House of Representatives Speaker John Gregg,

West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Tim Miley,

North Dakota House of Representatives Minority Leader Kenton Onstad,

Wyoming Senate Minority Leader Chris Rothfuss,

North Dakota Senate Minority Leader Mac Schneider,

Former Indiana House of Representatives Majority Leader Russ Stilwell, and

West Virginia House of Delegates Majority Leader Harry Keith White.

Alyssa Carducci ([email protected]) writes from Tampa, Florida.

Internet Info:

“CoalBlue Project Democrats Call on President to Accelerate Development of Sustainable Coal,” http://coalblue.org/coalblue-project-letter-to-administrationpresident/