Forbes: In Fighting EPA, Coal-Fired Utilities Are Blowing Smoke

[Willinois]

From Forbes magazine of all places.

In Fighting EPA, Coal-Fired Utilities Are Blowing Smoke

Quote:King Coal used to throw around its weight and its money, typically getting friendly legislation enacted and unkindly bills defeated. Not anymore.

Everything from a U.S. Supreme Court case to regulatory rulings to the actions taken by the coal-burning utilities themselves is supporting that supposition. Just this week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration released its latest data showing that while coal remains dominant here, its usage in the electricity generation field fell below 40 percent in the last two months of last year. That has not happened since 1978.

Republicans and fossil fuel Democrats stopped an energy bill from even coming to a vote in the Senate during Obama's first two years in office. I consider that Harry Reid's most disappointing capitulation.

Now, Obama is getting the job done through EPA regulation. Plan B may end up being much more difficult for the coal industry. Many people consider climate change to be the great challenge of our time. Defeating the power of the coal and oil industry will be one of the most significant political power shifts in American history.