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Replacing 40% of our energy generating from coal fired to natural gas fired would hugely increase imports of natural gas. It would make us dependent yet again on foriegn governments for energy when we have spent the last 45 years getting away from that.
This is in fact occurring primarily because of the uncertainties of regulations, it's going to be slow process. If we outright banned coal plants they would have to grandfather in the existing ones, if not prices would truly skyrocket. It's the capital investment that would not mature that is going to each your lunch. Plus the infrastructure is simply not in place to meet such demand, they are having issues now.
This would or will occur over the next 50 and I'm not so sure the gas industry couldn't meet that demand, the issue becomes the cost of the gas and a market that fluctuates significantly.
First off, I believe if you look at the latest numbers, Coal no longer makes up 40% of our energy generation. That is the whole point. Its use has been declining by fairly significant amounts recently.
The precipitous drop is driven by many closings of aging coal plants becsue of the new mercury rules that will reduce deposition rates an estimated 1 to 10 percent and increase the average IQ 2/1000 of one point.
It's like having an old car from the 60's that has no value other than transportation and the government requires you to put $3000 of emission controls on it. simply not worth it especially considering they may require you to put another $3000 of emission controls in the future.
Those have been replaced with natgas plants some of which were mothballed in the early part of the last decade.
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Secondly, and the point of this thread, how is Trump going to reverse the trend?
The first thing that needs to be done is long term stability in regulations, one of the issues now is every time they come into compliance there is new set of rules and often the cost of that could of been reduced coming into compliance with the last set of rules. Any industry is going to find difficulty operating under such burdens. The industry can then decide whether coal will be worth it in the future.
It looks like while jobs continue to leave the country, both taxes and the cost of energy will increase if Hillary is POTUS. She is going to put everyone out of work and give them an aid package. Who do think pays for the aid package and the increased cost of energy? Those few left with jobs that haven't yet left the country.
They were talking about alternative energy in the 1970s. I went to see some of the first electric cars manufactured in Elkhart, IN in the spring of 1972. The next thing I knew, they disappeared and giant crew cab pickups and giant SUVs were all I was seeing on the highway. This just all seems like some kind of sham to me.
It is true that without industry in the US, there is less need for coal. I don't see that as a positive though.
It looks like while jobs continue to leave the country, both taxes and the cost of energy will increase if Hillary is POTUS. She is going to put everyone out of work and give them an aid package. Who do think pays for the aid package and the increased cost of energy? Those few left with jobs that haven't yet left the country.
They were talking about alternative energy in the 1970s. I went to see some of the first electric cars manufactured in Elkhart, IN in the spring of 1972. The next thing I knew, they disappeared and giant crew cab pickups and giant SUVs were all I was seeing on the highway. This just all seems like some kind of sham to me.
It is true that without industry in the US, there is less need for coal. I don't see that as a positive though.
Why is this all about Hillary when Bernie's response is 'to hell with fossil fuels'!
He want to go EVEN FURTHER that Clinton with regard to regulations.
I ask again. What replaced the steel mills in PA? Are they making iPhones now? Did Elon Musk set up shop here? You guys shutter old industries but the new ones never take their place. They go to China. People have wised up to this trick and this time have a voice in someone like Trump. Did you watch Hillary's pathetic response to the coal miner? If she is so right, why didn't she come out and say what you said. Coal is dead, move along.
Elon Musk has established large facilities, including but not limited to manufacturing plants, in the United States.
What about older workers? No one is going to hire them even with retraining.
The only solution i can think of there is enhanced retirement benefits. Every industry that has ever gone obsoloete has faced that problem. But, I believe that no one who has shown they are willing to work hard or has served in combat should ever just be forgotten. I would support enhanced retirement benefits for them if they absolutely cant find other employment.
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