Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) renewed her call for the EPA to hold greenhouse gas listening sessions in West Virginia, noting that the state relies on coal energy more than any other, in a letter sent on Monday.
West Virginia generates 95 percent of its electricity from coal. Last month, Capito introduced House Concurrent Resolution 59, which calls on the EPA to hold listening sessions in each of 15 states that produce the most coal electricity.
“…Because my state is the leader in electricity production from coal, West Virginia’s energy consumers will be hurt more than energy consumers in any other state by the EPA’s plan to impose additional regulations on existing coal-fired power plants,” Capito said.
The EPA announced in September that greenhouse gas listening sessions would be held in 11 cities and that feedback garnered from the meetings would “play an important role in helping EPA develop smart, cost-effective guidelines that reflect the latest and best information available.”
“It is difficult to imagine how the EPA could obtain the ‘best information available’ from which to develop a ‘smart, cost-effective’ regulation without listening to the people in the states most reliant on coal for electricity,” Capito said. “Given West Virginia’s unique perspective as the state that generates the highest percentage of its electricity from coal, and as the second-leading producer of coal, West Virginians have a special interest in sharing their views on regulatory efforts targeting existing power plants.”
House Concurrent Resolution 59 received bipartisan support from 34 senators when it was introduced last month.