Coal Industry Sees Life or Death in Senate Climate Debate

When people in the coal business talk about “the valley of death,” they are referring to a grim place not located near any mine. It is an economic chasm that the industry fears awaits it if the Senate approves climate legislation similar to what passed the House.

Although the House bill includes some help for coal, it also creates incentives for utilities to move away from polluting fuels. Industry advocates and independent analysts say that leaves coal with few options for a sustainable future.

“Unless they come up with a breakthrough technology to capture carbon and store it, coal is dying,” said Kenneth Green, resident scholar at American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. “If this [bill] does what they want it to do, I would say coal is on its way out.”

That is what coal hopes it can prevent with its latest lobbying push.

NY Times