News Releases

February 3, 2016

Enzi: America runs on coal

The importance of coal in powering America simply cannot be overstated, according to U.S. Senator Enzi, R-Wyo. Unfortunately, he said, neither can this Administration’s deliberate attempts to use executive power to put the coal industry out of business.

“This issue hits close to home for me because approximately 40 percent of this country’s coal is produced in my home state of Wyoming,” Enzi said. “Coal supports more 27,000 jobs in my state, which is over 9 percent of the workforce.”

As the Senate considers bipartisan legislation to reform our nation’s energy infrastructure, Enzi took to the Senate floor today to explain how coal, which generates 39 percent of U.S. electricity, plays an essential role in keeping America running.

The Administration recently announced that it would halt new federal coal leases, followed closely by proposing a new methane flaring rule aimed at discouraging oil and gas leasing on federal lands. Enzi said these new federal actions could slash tens of thousands of jobs and send electricity prices through the roof.

Enzi emphasized that the war on coal is not only a threat to coal producers in Wyoming, but to energy consumers across America, noting that in 2014, 30 states received coal from Wyoming mines.

“All of these numbers and stats boil down to this - the largest share of America’s energy is powered by coal, and policies that raise the price of coal will hurt businesses and households across the country,” Enzi said. “Unfortunately, this Administration is either oblivious or unconcerned.”



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Enzi: America runs on coal

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