U.S. Rep. John Joyce (R-PA) emphasized the importance of Pennsylvania coal jobs at a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing this week with U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.
“Pennsylvanians and Americans from across coal country understand firsthand that, if we are to stay energy secure, then we cannot afford to walk away from this resource,” Joyce said. “Coal provides the constant baseload power that is the backbone of the American electric grid and keeps our country moving. It would be shameful to throw away this energy opportunity because of some people’s preconceived ideas about coal.”
Joyce also urged the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to work with Pennsylvania to find innovative energy solutions.
At the hearing, The Fiscal Year 2022 DOE Budget, Granholm spoke about supporting coal and power plant communities while revitalizing the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management.
“By supporting the POWER+ Initiative, DOE will help communities impacted by the energy transition and ensure their success,” Granholm said. “DOE programs can support fossil fuels workers translating their skills to new positions in various areas, from extracting critical minerals from coal mine sites and upgrading pipelines to reduce methane to building carbon capture and hydrogen systems on existing industrial and power plant facilities; from building zero-emissions buses and upgrading the power grid to drilling for geothermal energy.”