HARRISBURG, Pa., July 30, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor
Corbett today rallied on behalf of working families in Pennsylvania's energy sector. Joined at the
Rally to Support American Energy in Pittsburgh by West
Virginia Governor Earl Ray
Tomblin and Ohio Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor, Gov. Corbett criticized the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) recent proposed rule for
power plant emissions reduction, which could result in significant
job loss in Pennsylvania.
"In Pennsylvania, nearly 63,000 men and women work in jobs
supported by the coal industry," Corbett said. "Anything that seeks
to or has the effect of shutting down coal-fired power plants is an
assault on Pennsylvania jobs,
consumers, and those citizens who rely upon affordable, abundant
domestic energy."
Pennsylvania's coal industry is
a vital contributor to the state's economy, with direct, indirect
and induced impacts responsible for approximately $4.1 billion in economic output; $2.1 billion directly by the coal industry. Of
the nearly 63,000 jobs attributed to Pennsylvania's coal industry, more than 8,100
are miners.
Coal is a crucial energy resource, used to generate more
electricity than any other resource in Pennsylvania and responsible for approximately
44 percent of the state's electricity generation. In 2011,
Pennsylvania generated 227 million
megawatts of electricity, making it the second largest producer of
electricity in the United States
and the largest net exporter of electricity among the states.
"Reducing greenhouse emissions is a goal we support," Corbett
said. "However, some officials refuse to acknowledge that coal is
now cleaner, and they don't recognize the advancement this American
industry has made, particularly in Pennsylvania. In recent years, Pennsylvania has made great strides to reduce
emissions, and I am confident in saying that our commitment to
Pennsylvania's coal industry does
not mean we have to sacrifice clean air."
In April, in anticipation of EPA's proposed rule, Pennsylvania submitted a plan that would
achieve lower emissions from existing power plants, which would
lead to cleaner air, by removing obstacles and encouraging
efficiency projects. At the heart of Pennsylvania's plan is efficiency and the
preservation of states' authority and discretion in the development
and implementation of emissions control programs.
"No one disagrees that protecting our environment is crucial,
and that we need to do our fair share," Corbett said. "In
Pennsylvania, that is exactly what we are doing. We have proposed a
plan to EPA that would realize lower emissions and cleaner air
through increased efficiency, without endangering jobs or our
stable and diverse energy supply."
On Thursday, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) will be testifying on EPA's proposed rule,
offering Pennsylvania's plan for
how cleaner air, lower energy prices and more jobs can be achieved
through a responsible plan for emissions reduction that recognizes
Pennsylvania's diverse energy
resources.
For more information about Governor Corbett's energy plan for
Pennsylvania, visit
www.governor.pa.gov/energy.
To review the plan submitted by Pennsylvania, visit www.dep.state.pa.us,
select "Air," then "Bureau of Air Quality."
Media contact: Jay Pagni,
Governor's Office, 717-783-1116
Morgan Wagner, DEP, 717-787-1323
SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor