Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram – Central Appalachian coal production is projected to decline with or without the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to limit greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s power plants. Read
That’s according to an analysis conducted by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
“Even in our reference case, we have Central Appalachian coal falling. The portion of coal that goes to the electric sector — it’s really falling by quite a lot, even in the reference case,” said Diane Kearney, an operations research analyst with the EIA’s Office of Electricity, Coal, Nuclear and Renewables Analysis. “Of course, with the Clean Power Plan, there is an incremental hit. However, because it’s already sort of falling off, and it’s already falling off in the power sector, that increment doesn’t look as significant.”