Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt took his "Back-to-Basics" agenda to the Thomas Hill Energy Center Thursday and received a standing ovation when he told the crowd of 300 electric cooperative and ag leaders that the war on coal was over.
"Rather than regulating an entire industry out of business, I'm committed to working in coordination with states to create a healthy environment where jobs and businesses can grow. That's the purpose of my Back-to-Basics agenda," said Pruitt. "Last week I went underground in a Pennsylvania coal mine, and today I got a firsthand look at a Missouri coal-fired power plant. Coal is, and will continue to be, a critical part of America's energy mix. I saw today just how important this fuel source is to affordable electricity and economic development in the region, especially in the agriculture community."
Joining Pruitt on stage were U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, U.S. Reps. Vicky Hartzler and Blaine Luetkemeyer, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, Missouri Ag Director Chris Chinn, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson, Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst and workers at the power plant.
"Responsible coal generation plays a key role in making sure rural America has access to affordable power it can count on. Based on his visit today and our conversation, it's clear to me Administrator Pruitt's vision and priorities for the EPA align with the values of Associated Electric and our members," said David Tudor, CEO and general manager of Associated Electric Cooperative Inc.
Pruitt's message echoed the comments made by more than 300,000 Missouri electric cooperative members when EPA under the previous administration asked for public input on its proposed Clean Power Plan regulations. Those comments were ignored, said Barry Hart, CEO of the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, in his address during the visit.
"Those comments fell on deaf ears," Hart said. "We are encouraged to see that the Trump Administration understands the concerns of people in rural America and is committed to bringing the change they want. We look forward to working with Administrator Pruitt and other administration officials as they work to ensure Washington regulations don't harm the people who can least afford it - our members - and help rural communities create jobs."
Hart pointed out that the Thomas Hill plant owned by generation cooperative Associated Electric employs 223 people who earn an average of $35 per hour. The monthly payroll is $1.1 million and the plant's average budget is $200 million.
"If you took this plant out of service, what kind of impact would that have on the state's economy?" he asked.
Pruitt told those gathered that they should be celebrating the fact that while the U.S. economy has increased its use of electricity, emissions from coal-fired power plants have declined thanks to a massive investment in emission-control technology. Associated Electric alone has spent more than $1.1 billion to reduce emissions at its power plants.
"The power rules would have impacted our state more than almost any other state," Blunt said of the Obama administration's regulations. "It would have doubled our rates."
Blunt praised the efforts of Pruitt to roll back unnecessary regulations that harmed the economy. "He has made a new commitment to do what EPA is supposed to do - look for problems and solve them," Blunt said.
