Hey Ohio, Obama IS waging a war on coal; billboard campaign begins

Yes, the President, his administration, his bureaucrats and his party are all waging a war on coal, as these new billboards demonstrate.

These words, from Barack Obama, V.P. Joe Biden and Energy Secretary Steven Chu prove it - no matter what Sen. Sherrod Brown claims.

“There is no war on coal. Period,” Brown said during a debate Monday with Republican rival Josh Mandel sponsored by the City Club of Cleveland, the first of three scheduled over the next two weeks.

I can't help but wonder what Brown has been smoking to make such a claim! Or is he just that stupid? Perhaps he's just that partisan!

I'm sure he'd rather ignore the comments and pleas of Ohio coal miners who Friday called on Pres. Obama to stop his false ads about them and the war on coal. You, know, the same miners who, in this video, called Brown a "job killer."

Here is the Press Release from the Ohio Coal Association:

Coalition Launches Billboard Campaign in Ohio After Biden, Obama, Chu Comments

COLUMBUS - The Ohio Coal Association joined today with four other state coal associations to launch a billboard campaign highlighting the anti-coal positions of the Obama Administration. These billboards contain actual quotes from Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu regarding their disdain for American coal.

“The Ohio Coal Association wants people in the Buckeye State to know the truth about President Obama and his war on coal, which is undermining low-cost electricity and destroying tens of thousands of jobs.” said Mike Carey, Chair of the Ohio Coal Association.

“This billboard initiative is supported by the state coal associations of Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania,and West Virginia, and is funded by the Ohio Coal Association. These coal-producing states have felt firsthand the economic damage that this Administration has caused. It is time to stand up and stop the war on coal."

Images of the three billboards can be found by visiting www.ohiocoal.com and below.

Coal miners fight back against Obama lies

President Barack Obama has earned the wrath of Ohio coal miners who don't like it when his campaign lies about them.

I count at least 100 miners in this video, but the spokesman said more would have been present if not for the fact that they were still (for the time being) working.

Watch the entire thing...it's worth it!

It's time to repeal Ohio's alternative energy mandate

I read an interesting article, "Obama Wants You to Use Less, Spend More," written by Marita Noon, Executive Director of Energy Makes America Great.

In one section, she talks about the prices for various types of energy. She writes:

That got me thinking, if a few cents, between $.07-.11, can make a $10 billion impact on a state’s economy, what difference will the higher costs of renewable energy do to these struggling cities?

Taylor referenced a study done by Tufts University economics professor Gilbert E. Metcalf, which provides the levelized costs of the various sources of electricity—meaning with the subsidies, preferences, and differential tax treatment removed. The “Federal Tax Policy Towards Energy” study was done in 2006 and reported on in 2007, so the numbers quoted here would not be the most recent, but they do provide real numbers for comparison. Metcalf found that coal was the least-cost method of electricity generation. Natural gas was next, the second least-cost, but was still 48% more than coal. Nuclear is 57% more than coal; wind, 75%; solar thermal, 570%; and solar photovoltaic, 887% more than coal. Of course, the price of natural gas is greatly reduced due to its newfound abundance and, yes, the costs of wind and solar have come down—but they’d have to come way down even to be close to competitive to coal or natural gas.

Here’s another way to look at the numbers. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) produced a report that shows the same basic ideas from a different angle. The 2010 report attempted to project out what future energy costs would be. Like the Metcalf study, the EIA report offers levelized numbers. They assume that natural gas costs will remain low and even give some benefits to the prices of renewable energy. In their projections, natural gas is the least-cost, with coal being 50% more. Nuclear is 81% more expensive than natural gas; onshore wind, 131% more; offshore wind, 470%; solar thermal, 394%; and solar photovoltaic, 234%.

No matter which way you look at the numbers, coal and natural gas are the least-cost ways to generate electricity, with wind and solar, the most expensive.

Ohio has a law, passed in 2008, requiring that at least 25% of all electricity sold in the state by 2025 come from alternative energy. Half of the mandated 25% must come from renewable sources like solar, wind, hydro power, geothermal or biomass. The other half can be met by instituting energy-efficiency programs, clean coal technology or using fuel cells. But the kicker is the requirement to use solar and wind as we really don't have the capacity for hydro power nor the facilities for geothermal or biomass (at least - not yet).

Municipalities and governmental entities are purchasers of electricity just as you and I are. Most of the alternative energy sources in the Toledo area are from solar photovoltaic. If we use the lowest number from the above data, we're paying 234% more for the solar-generated energy than we would if we used natural gas and 56% more than we would if we used coal.

This means that we are paying significantly more for our energy than we need to (absent a government order). This also means that our limited tax dollars are being spent to pay for increased energy costs, rather than for other, necessary government services like roads, police and fire.

I can only wonder how much that additional cost equates to for the city of Toledo and whether or not, considering the number of buildings, they'd have the money for their desired recreation levy they just voted to put on the ballot.

We already know that eliminating the biodiesel fuel requirement for the Ohio Department of Transportation would save taxpayers millions of dollars.

Toledo - and all cities in the state - should immediately express support for S.B. 216, which would repeal the 25% mandate, and insist that the bill be passed.

It's about time all politicians stopped worrying about catering to the environmental lobby and started worrying about catering to the taxpayers.

Time for a complete picture of what anti-coal rules really mean

True to it's penchant for embracing all things 'left,' The Blade did an editorial last week expounding on how the new EPA rules would be good for Ohioans.

They claim that imposing massive and costly regulations on the coal industry will save lives, based upon estimates from the EPA itself.

It's an editorial, so it's an opinion piece and certainly the unknown author is entitled to express an opinion.

But readers of the editorial should know both sides so you can form an opinion of your own.

These rules are part of Pres. Barack Obama's plan to put the coal industry out of business, despite his claim of wanting an 'all of the above' approach to energy in the nation.

As Phil Kerpen explains:

Four years ago, then-candidate Barack Obama explained his anti-coal energy policy in an editorial board meeting with the San Francisco Chronicle. Obama said: “Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad.” He went on to explain: “So, if somebody wants to build a coal plant, they can — it’s just that it will bankrupt them.”

Indeed Obama attempted to make good on his campaign promise to bankrupt the coal industry and make electricity prices skyrocket the legitimate way – by proposing cap-and-trade legislation in Congress. It was jammed through the House but crashed and burned in the Senate, where many Democrats understood such an energy rationing plan to be political suicide.
...

But the day after the 2010 election President Obama said: “Cap-and-trade was just one way of skinning the cat; it was not the only way. It was a means, not an end. And I’m going to be looking for other means to address this problem.”

With Tuesday’s EPA action to bankrupt coal, he found his “other means” to address the “problem” of affordable electricity.

Here are some points to consider that the paper really doesn't want you to know:

* Technological progress has made coal use far cleaner than ever before. Since 1970, use of coal for power generation has shot up 183% while emissions have dropped 75%.

* Studies have shown the EPA’s approach will force power plants to close across the country, force electricity prices to spike by an average of 12% nationwide, and cost the economy well over one million jobs.

* The measure opposed in the editorial, S.J Resolution 37, proposed by Senator Inhofe, would have made sure the EPA writes sensible regulations that reduce mercury emissions but do not raise energy prices unnecessarily and destroy more jobs.

The key is balance - having sensible regulations that don't bankrupt an industry and don't raise the price we have to pay only to accomplish a minimal, barely measurable, reduction in pollution. And while they claim the measure will 'save lives,' we know the consequence will be lost jobs in the coal industry, higher costs for each of us - especially in Ohio, and loss of tax-paying businesses in the state.

We've already seen the impact with the closing of six coal-fired plants including ours in Oregon, Ohio. So much for jobs being the President's "number one priority."

I'm all for reducing pollution - but how much reduction will we really get and at what cost?

I guess I don't believe the accepted premise from the left that 'if it saves just one life' we should do it, no matter what the consequences.

Sherrod Brown's anti-coal vote hurts Ohio

Press release from Ohio Coal Associatioon :

Brown's Vote Against Coal Hurt Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 20, 2012) – Today Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown voted against a Congressional Review Act (CRA), Senate Joint Resolution 37, that would have disapproved and nullified the EPA’s recently issued rule penalizing Ohio’s coal-fired electric power plants.

“Instead of helping Ohio families and workers still reeling from America’s economic downturn, Senator Brown chose to show his support for an EPA rule issued by President Obama that would destroy Ohio jobs and sky-rocket electricity prices for consumers,” said President of the Ohio Coal Association Mike Carey.

The CRA introduced by Senator Inhofe (R-OK) would make sure the EPA writes a sensible regulation that reduces mercury emissions but does not raise energy prices unnecessarily. Senator Brown did not support the measure when it was voted on today.

“The rules issued by the EPA are an unreasonable extension of President Obama’s war on the coal industry and Ohio electricity consumers. Ohio’s coal industry supplies the majority Ohio’s electricity and keeps rates competitive. Dramatically increasing these rates will destroy important economic sectors in Ohio, including manufacturing which needs low energy costs to compete in a global marketplace,” said Carey.

Independent research shows electricity prices could increase by as much as 300 percent in northern Ohio. UBS projects prices will increase at least 60 percent for 2015-2016.

“Ohioans are paying a high price for Senator Brown’s support for the Obama war on coal,” said Carey.

###

EPA Administrator: Obama Coal Rules will Kill Industry

Press Release from the Ohio Coal Association:

MEDIA STATEMENT: Ohio Coal President Mike Carey

‘EPA Administrator: Obama Coal Rules will Kill Industry’

Columbus, Ohio – In video footage released by Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Inhofe yesterday evening, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Curt Spalding said the Obama administrations air regulations will kill the coal industry.

“This video is powerful. It explicitly shows the level of understanding of senior EPA officials that President Obama is trying to vanquish an entire industry,” said Ohio Coal Association President Mike Carey.

The footage was filmed at Yale University at “Beyond Pesticides’ 30thNational Pesticide Forum” held March 30-31, 2012.

Mr. Spalding, a Region 1 EPA Administrator said:

“Lisa Jackson has put forth a very powerful message to the country. Just two days ago, the decision on greenhouse gas performance standard and saying basically gas plants are the performance standard which means if you want to build a coal plant you got a big problem. That was a huge decision.”

“You can’t imagine how tough that was,” Spalding continued.“Because you got to remember if you go to West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and all those places, you have coal communities who depend on coal. And to say that we just think those communities should just go away, we can’t do that. But she had to do what the law and policy suggested. And it’s painful. It’s painful every step of the way.”

Watch the video



“Coal provides nearly 86 percent of our electricity in Ohio with reserves lasting an estimated 250 years. Destroying our industry, as planned by President Obama, would decimate Ohio because our economy relies on an affordable and abundant supply of electricity to power economic sectors like manufacturing,” said Carey.

The Obama administration’s new air standards would prematurely force the retirement of more than 140 coal-fired electricity generating units from 19 states by 2015. Senator Inhofe is sponsoring a resolution (S.J. Resolution 37) that would disprove the EPA’s new standards.

###

New AFP ad highlights Obama's job creation - overseas

We all know about President Barak Obama's penchant for spending your tax dollars on 'green energy' companies. 

It was supposed to be an 'investment' in green jobs but all we have to do mention names like Solyndra (bankrupt), America's worst wind energy project, First Solar (laying off thousands), Solar Trust for America (bankrupt), Evergreen Solar (bankrupt), or SpectraWatt (bankrupt) to know how that turned out.

But many do not know that a lot of that so-called stimulus money, designed to improve the employment picture here in the United States, actually went to create job overseas.

Americans for Prosperity has put together a few of the highlights on how those stimulus dollars were spent:

*  $2.3 billion in tax credits went to create jobs in foreign countries.
*  $1.2 billion went to a solar energy company to help finance a new plant in Mexico.
*  $500 million to an electric car company which created hundreds of jobs in Finland.
*  Tens of millions of dollars to build traffic lights in China.

But they're not counting on just bloggers and press releases to share this information. Here is their latest ad:



I saw this commercial twice last night during prime time. It's running in eight states, including Ohio where Obama's 'green energy' plans aren't just tanking in terms of creating new jobs, but are responsible for killing existing jobs here as part of his promise to bankrupt the coal industry.

I'm certainly not in favor of government picking the winners and losers in the marketplace via such funding, but if you're going to spend the money, at least ensure that our American tax dollars are helping American taxpayers, for goodness sake!

This is an important election.  Don't hope that your family, friends and neighbors will see this ad or read a blog about it.  Spread the word - especially to those union workers with the bumper stickers that say "Out of a job yet?  Keep buying foreign."  Make sure they know that their union leaders are firmly and staunchly supporting Obama - and spending their union dues to help a President who is sending jobs overseas.

ICYMI roundup

Due to some unexpected conflicts yesterday, I did not get a chance to do a blog post, so here is an In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) roundup:

*  Republican members of the Energy and Commerce Committee Responded to the Obama Administration's EPA proposal to kill jobs and eliminate energy supplies:

Republican members pushed back strongly this week against EPA’s new proposed rule regulating greenhouse gases for new coal plants. In a hearing Wednesday with EPA Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy, Republican members of Subcommittee on Energy and Power blasted the administration's actions to shut down coal-fired power generation in the U.S., arguing that it is yet another example that the president's promise of an 'all of the above' energy strategy rings hollow, putting both jobs and affordable, reliable energy at risk.   Read more...

*  Sunday was April Fool's Day, but this is no joke - and it's gone mostly unreported in the lame street media.  As of April 1, the United States has the highest corporate tax rate in the developed world:  39.2%.  Our companies now have a distinct disadvantage with their foreign competitors.  And in a global economy, the United States is now less attractive to companies looking for a new plant or facility. 

And really, even God only asked for 10%, why should the government take more than a third of all profits?  That's money that would have gone to investors, shareholders, owners and used to spur the economy to produce more - or money that would have gone to additional wages and benefits for workers. 

People who think government deserves more in taxes forget the unseen - the greater amount of economic good the money would have generated if it had stayed in the economy rather than be diverted to government for such things as a teapot museum (which failed, btw) or cowgirl hall of fame.

*  From the 'people-who-live-in-glass-houses' file, President Barack Obama has decided to criticize the Republican budget passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.  However, Obama's own budget failed to get a single vote.  Republicans didn't vote for it, which isn't a surprise.  But no Democrat voted for it either.  And this is the second time he's submitted a budget that couldn't get a single vote.

Furthermore, the Senate, which is required the Constitution to do a budget, hasn't passed one in 1,069 days.  That's just a mere 26 days short of three years!  Dereliction of duty is too kind a term for this kind of failure.  And hypocrisy is too kind a term for what the President is doing, but that's part of the plan:  tear apart what the other guy is doing instead of doing something yourself.

*  On the Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman case, some deliberate fraud by the news media has come to light.  NBC is investigating itself over a doctored playing of the call Zimmerman made to the police on the night of the shooting.

NBC's "Today" show ran the edited audio of George Zimmerman's phone call to a police dispatcher in which Zimmerman says: "'This guy looks like he's up to no good … he looks black."

But the audio recording in its entirety reveals that Zimmerman did not volunteer the information that Martin was black. Instead, Zimmerman was answering a question from a police dispatcher about the race of the "suspicious person" whom Zimmerman was speaking about.

A transcript of the complete 911 call shows that Zimmerman said, "This guy looks like he's up to no good. Or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about."

The 911 officer responded saying, "OK, and this guy — is he black, white or Hispanic?"

"He looks black," Zimmerman said.

The abridged conversation between Zimmerman and the dispatcher that NBC ran on March 27 has been blasted by media watchdog groups as misleading.

And then there is ABC News which originally ran a story about video that supposedly showed no injuries to Zimmerman, as he claimed.  But yesterday, after they 'enhanced' the video, they changed their story, saying the video clearly shows the gash the on back of Zimmerman's head.  You'd think, before going forward with a story portraying Zimmerman as lying about his injuries, they would have 'enhanced' the video to be sure.

Now how many people do you think are going to rely solely upon the first stories reported, rather than the actual facts that have now come out?

*   Still think spending by the government isn't the problem and that it needs even more taxes? If Uncle Sam had won the MegaMillions jackpot, he'd be able to pay 1/250th of 1% of the U.S. debt.  Sobering thought, isn't it?

*  Student loan debt has now exceeded $1 trillion - more than credit card and auto loans.  But there is an alternative:  SoFi - Social Financing. 

The $1 trillion US student loan market is broken. We are here to offer an innovative approach. We are using the power of social communities to transform the industry. SoFi connects students and alumni through a dedicated lending fund and an original social community. SoFi provides an approach where students, alumni and schools all benefit. Alumni earn a compelling double bottom line return, students receive a lower loan rate than their private or federal options, and both sides benefit from the connections formed. Schools access a new, stable, low cost funding source that doesn't cannibalize giving while building accountability to their students and alumni.

SoFi is ‘where social meets finance.’ And we believe we have produced a better student loan – a true student loan solution.

SoFi was founded by a group of Stanford Graduate School of Business students in 2011. The team's motivation is to transform the financial services landscape using social: SoFi defines social as community-oriented, scalable and where participation is commensurate with value.

Just think - private individuals meeting a market need and all without the involvement of government.

FirstEnergy closing 6 plants due to new EPA rules

Just great - not! President Barack Obama said he wanted to bankrupt the coal industry and now, as a result of his new EPA standards, we're losing jobs and electricity sources in Ohio.

FirstEnergy today announced the closing of six coal-fired plants, including our plant here in Oregon, Ohio, and three others in our state. We already have some of the highest electricity rates in the state. How much will our rates go up without this local plant?

And what about the employees??? More than 500 employees will be out of work, though some may relocate to other plants or take early retirement. And then there are the ancillary jobs and economic benefits that will decrease, including transportation, office and manufacturing suppliers, etc...

So much for a President who said his number one priority was jobs.

For more information about how Pres. Obama's coal policies are costing us hundreds more per year, check out this blog post by Warner Todd Huston.

Here is the FirstEnergy press release:

FirstEnergy, Citing Impact of Environmental Regulations, Will Require Six Coal-Fired Plants

FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) announced today that its generation subsidiaries will retire six older coal-fired power plants located in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland by September 1, 2012. The decision to close the plants is based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), which were recently finalized, and other environmental regulations.

The total capacity of the competitive plants that will be retired is 2,689 megawatts (MW). Recently, these plants served mostly as peaking or intermediate facilities, generating, on average, approximately 10 percent of the electricity produced by the company over the past three years.

The following plants will be retired: Bay Shore Plant, Units 2-4, Oregon, Ohio; Eastlake Plant, Eastlake, Ohio; Ashtabula Plant, Ashtabula, Ohio; Lake Shore Plant, Cleveland, Ohio; Armstrong Power Station, Adrian, Pa.; and R. Paul Smith Power Station, Williamsport, Md.

In total, 529 employees will be directly affected. Existing severance benefits will apply to eligible, affected employees. However, the final number of affected employees could be less as some are considered for open positions at other FirstEnergy facilities and work locations, and eligible employees take advantage of a retirement benefit being offered to those 55 years and older.

"This decision is not in any way a reflection of the fine work done by the employees at the affected plants, but is related to the impact of new environmental rules," said James H. Lash, president, FirstEnergy Generation and chief nuclear officer. "We recently completed a comprehensive review of our coal-fired generating plants and determined that additional investments to implement MATS and other environmental rules would make these older plants even less likely to be dispatched under market rules. As a result, it was necessary to retire the plants rather than continue operations."

The plant retirements are subject to review for reliability impacts, if any, by PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission organization that controls the area where they are located.

FirstEnergy is finalizing MATS compliance plans for its remaining coal-fired units. Since the Clean Air Act became law in 1970, FirstEnergy and its predecessor companies have invested more than $10 billion in environmental protection efforts.

Since 1990, FirstEnergy has reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides by more than 76 percent, sulfer dioxide by more than 86 percent and mercury by about 56 percent. When the six coal-fired plants are removed from FirstEnergy's competitive generating fleet, more than 96 percent of the power provided will come from resources that are non- or low-emitting, including nuclear, hydro, pumped-storage hydro, natural gas and scrubbed coal units.

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies comprise the nation's largest investor-owned electric system. Its diverse generating fleet features non-emitting nuclear, scrubbed coal, natural gas, and pumped-storage hydro and other renewables, and has a total generating capacity of nearly 23,000 megawatts.

Obama will kill Ohio coal industry and jobs

If elected, Obama favors draconian restrictions on coal and coal-fired plants. He's been traversing the state telling us how much he's going to do for us, but somehow forgot to mention that 'I haven't been some coal booster' and 'if they want to build [coal plants], they can, but it will bankrupt them.'

Mike Carey, president of the Ohio Coal Association, issued a devastating response to Obama's comments that have recently been released:

Regardless of the timing or method of the release of these remarks, the message from the Democratic candidate for President could not be clearer: the Obama-Biden ticket spells disaster for America's coal industry and the tens of thousands of Americans who work in it.

These undisputed, audio-taped remarks, which include comments from Senator Obama like 'I haven't been some coal booster' and 'if they want to build [coal plants], they can, but it will bankrupt them' are extraordinarily misguided. "It's evident that this campaign has been pandering in states like Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana and Pennsylvania to attempt to generate votes from coal supporters, while keeping his true agenda hidden from the state's voters.

Senator Obama has revealed himself to be nothing more than a short- sighted, inexperienced politician willing to say anything to get a vote. But today, the nation's coal industry and those who support it have a better understanding of his true mission, to 'bankrupt' our industry, put tens of thousands out of work and cause unprecedented increases in electricity prices."

This is one of the reasons Democrats love early voting...when these sorts of things are exposed in the final days of the campaign, it's too late for many to change their votes.

If you work in the coal industry - or rely upon energy generated (partially or totally) by coal, I hope you'll consider Obama's plan for your jobs and Ohio's industry.