WYOMING — On May 1, the Congressional Coal Caucus announced Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY) was chosen as a Caucus co-chair.
A press release from Rep. Hageman’s office says Hageman was chosen along with House Representatives Morgan Griffith (R-VA), William Johnson (R-OH) and Daniel Meuser (R-PA).
“I am proud to join with my colleagues as a co-chair of the Coal Caucus because America must have accessible and affordable energy and coal is a prime source of that energy now – and will be needed for generations to come,” Rep. Hageman says. “We cannot allow the Biden bureaucrats and ‘green bad deal’ fanatics to continue threatening our ability to use clean, reliable and affordable American coal now or in the future.”
According to the press release, coal currently provides almost 40 percent of global electricity and coal-fueled power plants account for 25 percent of all electricity generated in the U.S. Forty-one percent of that U.S. total is produced in Wyoming.
However, Wyoming has recently seen shifts from coal-fired plants towards renewable energy, with projects including a new high-voltage transmission line and Pacific Corp’s planned switch to solar and wind. Concerns around alternative energy sources include wildlife impacts and substantial job losses at coal-fired plants.
The Coal Caucus aims to promote domestic production of coal, support research and development of new coal technologies and protect the communities that depend on the coal industry and its employment.
