Rep. Carol Miller, U.S. Representative for West Virginia 1st District | Official U.S. House headshot
Rep. Carol Miller, U.S. Representative for West Virginia 1st District | Official U.S. House headshot
On June 6, 2024, Congressional Coal Caucus Co-Chairs Representatives Carol Miller (R-WV), Dan Meuser (R-PA), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), and Morgan Griffith (R-VA) joined Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH) and 134 House colleagues in introducing a formal challenge to the Biden administration’s regulations aimed at shutting down American power plants. The challenge was presented through a Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval.
“Since Joe Biden took office, the EPA has been used to wage war on coal. Instead of increasing our coal supply, the Biden administration and Washington Democrats are shutting down domestic coal production in the name of their Green New Deal Agenda. If this rule were to go into effect, the U.S. power grid would be far more susceptible to brownouts and blackouts, leaving the United States more vulnerable to our adversaries and degrading our constituents’ quality of life. This CRA is necessary to overturn this rulemaking that will destroy coal demand in the United States,” said the Congressional Coal Caucus Co-Chairs.
The resolution follows the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) issuance of final rules imposing emissions requirements on existing coal-fired power plants and newly constructed gas-fired power plants. A similar attempt under President Obama was overturned by the Supreme Court in West Virginia v. EPA.
Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, led 43 Senate colleagues in introducing an identical resolution.
Groups supporting the CRA resolution include: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Mining Association (NMA), National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), America’s Power, American Chemistry Council (ACC), Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), American Petroleum Institute (API), American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA), Western Energy Alliance, American Coal Council, Energy Policy Network, Reliable Energy Inc., Women’s Mining Coalition, West Virginia Manufacturers Association, Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia (GOWV), West Virginia Coal Association, Public Service Commission of West Virginia, Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, Ohio Independent Power Producers, Ohio Oil & Gas Association, Pennsylvania Coal Alliance, Montana Coal Council, Texas Mining Association, Utah Mining Association, Kentucky Coal Association, Illinois Coal Association, Wyoming Mining Association, Rocky Mountain Mining Institute, American Electric Power (AEP), Buckeye Power, Duke Energy, PBF Energy South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Competitive Enterprise Institute CEI Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions CRES Institute for Energy Research Power the Future Heritage Action Conservative Political Action Coalition Americans for Prosperity American Energy Institute American Consumer Institute Americans for Tax Reform ALEC Action Taxpayers Protection Alliance Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.
The Congressional Coal Caucus represents both eastern and western mining states along with all types of coal produced throughout the country.
The EPA finalized its Power Plant Rule on April 25th 2024 which critics argue will negatively impact electric grid stability current coal-fired power plants new natural-gas fired power plants and U.S energy production Critics also claim these rules violate Clean Air Act provisions increase energy prices raise living costs for Americans and aim to shut down most U.S coal producers by 2032
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