ASHLAND —
To hear the predictions of many in this region during last fall’s presidential campaign, the re-election of Barack Obama would either destroy the coal industry in this region, or at the very least, severely cripple it. But as Obama begins his second term, the National Mining Association sees a much brighter future for coal.
Global demand for coal and other natural resources bodes well for the industry, particularly in developing countries, said NMA President Hal Quinn, adding improvements in new-home construction and car sales in the United States are also good signs. In fact, instead of demand for coal declining, Quinn says coal is on track to become the world’s primary energy source, surpassing oil by 2015.
In the United States, total coal consumption is expected to grow by 50 million tons over last year, due in part to cooler weather and natural gas prices the Energy Information Administration predicts will jump 22 percent.
Long-term, the NMA expects industry to benefit from the construction of larger, modern coal-fired power plants. It says at least 100 million tons of production lost with the retirement of old plants will eventually be recovered.
Since coal creates the best-paying jobs in this region, we hope the NMA’s predictions are accurate, but they are a far cry from the gloom-and-doom predictions that Obama is anti-coal and determined to destroy the coal industry in this country.
While low natural gas prices were making gas more economical than coal for generating electricity, rising gas prices have changed that. Of course, burning gas does not cause nearly as much damage to the environment as coal does, making it less costly to build gas-fired plants and more economical to burn than coal. That means efforts to build cleaner coal-fired plants must continue.
However, there is one overriding reason why coal will continue to be a major source of energy in this country. It remains far more abundant than any other fossil fuel.
The Environmental Protection Agency under President Obama is going to continue to demand that coal-fired plants meet tougher environmental standards. That is sure to make coal more expensive to burn, but if one believes the National Mining Association, it will not lead to the demise of the coal industry.
Opinion
Bright prospects?
New predicti9ons on coal's future far from gloomy
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On the increase
It’s certainly good news that a new report by Kentucky’s Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet has found the economic impact of tourism grew by 5.2 percent in eastern Kentucky in 2012, outpacing the overall statewide growth rate. However, we would be more excited bout the report if we had more confidence in how tourism spending is calculated by state government.
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After the crash
Like thousands of other Kentuckians, we remember well May 14, 1988, when a drunken driver traveling the wrong way on Interstate 71 near Carrollton struck a church bus returning home to Radcliff after day at King’s Island, causing one of he most deadly vehicle accidents in this nation’s history. The horrific crash killed 27, many of them teenagers, and injured 34 others.
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High price tage
Much has been said and written about the rapid and dramatic decline of air passenger service at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport. Much less has been said and written about the tremendous economic impact the loss of air service has had on the entire region.
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Return of pencils
It is a question asked by all of us whose lives and jobs are dependent on computers with email and Internet access, fax machines, cellphones and other other electronic essentials of this modern age: What do you do when the electronic devices fail?
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Banned
If you live in Boyd and Lawrence counties and are thinking of burning trash, wood, leaves or other debris outdoors, here’s a word of advice: Don’t even think about lighting that match. If you do, it could cost you dearly.
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In Your View
Letters to the editor
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Few citations
When the 2011 Kentucky General Assembly approved a bill banning texting while driving and cellphone use for drivers younger than 18, there was widespread public support for both restrictions.
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Booming times
Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergran Grimes has launched a statewide tour to gauge public support for allowing more voters to cast their ballots before Election Day. While other states have enacted laws to allow early voting, the biggest obstacle to the proposal in Kentucky is the state’s history of widespread voter fraud.
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Step backward
We agree with Larry Brown, the lone member of the Ashland Board of City Commissioners to oppose a motion requesting City Attorney Richard “Sonny” Martin to draft an ordinance changing the time for all commission meetings to noon
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