CHARLESTON W.Va. (WVDN) – West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey is applauding the Department of Energy’s announcement of a $625 million investment to reinvigorate and expand America’s coal industry. The initiative will help secure the nation’s energy sector and help revitalize the industry, with West Virginia directly benefiting from the investment, according to McCuskey.
“For over a century, West Virginia’s coal has fueled American industry, kept the lights on across the nation, and supported families in rural Appalachia and beyond. Your announcement recognizes what we have long known (but has more recently been too often forgotten): coal remains an essential component of America’s energy portfolio and economic strength. Your investments in rural capacity and energy are especially welcome; these areas need coal,” Attorney General McCuskey said in a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Christopher Wright.
Today, Attorney General McCuskey joined the West Virginia Coal Association and others at the West Virginia State Capitol to discuss how the investment will impact the Mountain State.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) announcement, the investment will expand and revive America’s coal industry in order to boost productivity and support coal communities across the country.
According to the announcement, DOE has committed to providing $625 million in funding for:
• $350 million for Coal Recommissioning and Retrofit: for projects to demonstrate readiness to recommission or modernize coal power units and provide near-term electric power reliability and capacity.
• $175 million for Rural Capacity and Energy Affordability Projects: for coal power projects that provide direct benefits of energy affordability, reliability, and resiliency in rural communities.
• $50 million to support the Development and Implementation of Advanced Wastewater Management Systems: to demonstrate scalable, cost-effective wastewater management systems that enables coal plants to extend their service life, reduce operational costs, and enhance commercial byproduct recovery.
• $25 million for Engineering and Implementation of Dual Firing Retrofits: to enable coal power plants to seamlessly switch between fuels, achieve full steam capacity, and economic flexibility to extend plant lifespans.
• $25 million for Development and Testing of Natural Gas Cofiring Systems: to support investments that will maintain boiler efficiency and reliability when utilizing 100% natural gas.
This investment is the latest effort by the Trump administration to revitalize America’s coal industry, creating reliable and consistent domestically produced energy to reduce our country’s reliance on foreign coal.
Read the full letter here.
