Latest News

Historically coal-reliant Indiana has taken increasingly to wind power, with 1,000 turbines on 16 farms that produce enough electricity to power 1,000 homes, indicating “immense potential” for the industry statewide.

“Instead of investing money into an economic transition for workers who were losing their way of life, the president and his administration had exploited the miners’ pain.”

“The good news is they’re talking about a lot of investment. While these won’t be replacing all of those (coal) jobs, they definitely are going to have an impact.”

Just one of eight new windfarms in the state will generate $2 million annually for landowners, create up to 20 full-time jobs, and generate $36 million in tax revenues over 20 years.

A four-year extension, through 2024, would help drive new utility-scale solar projects on abandoned plant and mine sites across the country.

Commissioners have mandated that county payrolls be reduced immediately by $1 million in the second recent rounds of layoffs. More cutbacks are expected as coal revenue dries up.

In its latest round of funding, the Canada Coal Transition Initiative is putting US$2.7 million into a community-college business hub, a county economic-development program, and a union-administered transition office.

“The state has always just counted on us being the cash cow for the state of Wyoming and they didn't have to do any planning,” one laid-off coal miner said.

Uncertainty weighs heavily over an economy where a growing consensus of experts sees more pain to come. Little in the way of proactive response has emerged, however.

The company that owns mines in Wyoming and West Virginia will abruptly end insurance for hundreds of employees, telling workers to look for coverage elsewhere after Aug. 31.