Industry wants Clinton to be ‘voice of reason’ on coal

The coal industry is asking Hillary Clinton to be the “voice of reason” for coal if she makes a run for the White House.

Ahead of her remarks at the annual dinner of the League of Conservation Voters — an influential environmental group — the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) urged Clinton to back coal as a source of “reliable, affordable” electricity for the United States.

“As Mrs. Clinton considers another run for the White House, we hope that she continues to be the voice of reason for coal-powered electricity,” said Laura Sheehan of ACCCE.

{mosads}Clinton is seen as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination in 2016, and has backed President Obama’s climate agenda, specifically supporting his carbon pollution rule on existing power plants.

ACCCE says the rules will cause energy prices to skyrocket and is seeking an ally in Clinton, who the group said showed support for coal during her presidential bid in 2008.

During a campaign stop in Indiana, Clinton said “we are going to use coal,” according to footage provided by the industry group. 

“There’s no doubt about that. It’s just that we’ve got to figure out how to make it as clean as coal can be,” Clinton said.

ACCCE contends that increased use of “clean coal” technology — which would capture and store coal plant’s greenhouse gas emissions — could bulk up the manufacturing sector, make the electric grid more reliable and create jobs.

“As candidates throw their hats into the 2016 presidential race, we’ll be taking a close look at their records on energy policy and watching to see whether they choose to follow President Obama’s misguided climate policy or support U.S. jobs,” Sheehan said.