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Trump needs to reverse nation’s attitude on coal

Many people are counting on President Donald Trump, inaugurated Friday, to end the Obama administration’s war on coal and affordable electricity. But merely slamming on the brakes is not enough. As U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell noted in a letter to Trump, the runaway locomotive of regulations needs to be thrown into reverse.

McConnell, R-Ky., has a personal reason for intervening with Trump over the issue. Many of the senator’s constituents have lost their jobs because of the White House vendetta against coal.

Last week, McConnell sent Trump a letter seeking specific action immediately after the new president takes office. McConnell wants Trump to stop defending the Clean Power Plan in court, which should result in it collapsing under its own weight. He also wants Trump to do away with the new Stream Protection Rule, which some miners say is a more effective assault on their industry than the CPP.

In his letter, McConnell reminded Trump of his oft-repeated pledges to help the coal industry. Left unsaid was the fact that by stopping President Barack Obama’s assault on coal, Trump can ensure millions of Americans continue to benefit from low-priced electricity generated at coal-fired power plants.

But more needs to be done, as the Kentuckian mentioned in his letter. His administration should do more to develop clean-coal technology, McConnell told Trump.

That will be critically important to ensure industries such as utilities can continue burning coal while not harming the environment. The Obama administration slashed federal funding to develop better ways to burn coal. Trump should ensure adequate money is available.

More than the health of coal miners, their companies and states that rely on the industry is at stake. As McConnell hints, Trump can keep his promises by ending the war on coal. But going the extra mile by funding research to ensure as many people as possible can benefit from the fuel — while keeping the environment clean — also ought to be on the president-elect’s priority list.

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