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Neil Chatterjee, chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, offers little comfort beyond acknowledging that “people are left with no resources” in coalfield communities as the industry continues to recede.

“A template for broader bipartisan legislation” in Kentucky, West Virginia and the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming, all “taking disproportionately heavy casualties as power-generation demand for coal recedes.”

“In the absence of coherent federal leadership on one of the most critical issues of modern times, it falls to Illinois and other states to step up.”

Two consecutive months of lower-than-expected income from an industry in decline are raising the possibility that the state will implement a 4.6 budget cut this fall.

New legislation would have the government reinvest substantially in communities hurt by the shutdown. “It’s very similar to a concept used when military bases close down,” Rep. Tom O’Halleran said.

Local business owners are promoting solar development as the regional energy economy modernizes. “A journeyman electrician can make a wage comparable to oil and gas wages," one said.

Vistra announced its fifth downstate plant retirement in a month. A shutdown settlement includes $8.6 million in local programs that include “workforce development.” The E.D. Edwards plant employs 70.

PacifiCorp, which has 1.9 million customers in six states, says it would save $599 million by adopting a transition plan that would include early retirement of four Wyoming coal-fired plants.

National and regional trends in energy markets combined with declines in Cloud Peak Energy’s customer base suggest that the bankrupt company’s three mines aren’t a good tribal investment.

The bill to reauthorize a fund scheduled to close in 2021 is being described by one of the sponsors as “vital for many communities in my district and around the country.”