The State Journal – As southern Appalachia’s coal fields continue to shrink with the industry’s gradual decline, West Virginia is struggling to keep the state’s workforce balanced. Read
One study, authored by Drew Haerer, a research analyst with Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, and Lincoln Pratson, a professor of Earth and ocean sciences with the school, found that as the coal-fired electricity shrinks, coalfields employment is following suit.
While that’s no secret for heavy coal producers like West Virginia, the controversy lies within the fact that natural gas, wind and solar sector jobs have been increasing, but they haven’t been replacing the lost jobs in the coalfields region.
