CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Energy demands are growing, and all types of power generation are going to be necessary moving forward.
That was the response from the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia to Tuesday’s news conference by the United Mine Workers of America, in which the union claimed that natural gas projects in West Virginia could destabilize communities and cost jobs.
“We view all of West Virginia’s energy workers as partners in powering America, but efforts to frame our energy future as a choice between resources ignore the reality that natural gas is one of the strongest drivers of jobs, investment, and economic growth in our state. We are an energy state, and reliable, affordable power is the foundation of economic development. Natural gas generation delivers exactly that,” said Rebecca McPhail, President-elect of GO-WV.
During an appearance on Metronews Talkline, McPhail emphasized that the two industries do not need to compete against each other and can be partners in positioning West Virginia as an energy leader.
“Is West Virginia going to meet the moment and build the generation capacity that we need to meet growing demands in the industrial sector, manufacturing, and data centers, and the demand is going to keep growing. So, we think there is room for both,” McPhail said.
McPhail continued that residential electricity prices have increased 125 percent since 2005, and so have energy prices. She asserted that investment in natural gas can stabilize the cost of energy and help reduce the strain on average customers.
Brian Sanson, International President of the UMWA, also expressed concern that coal jobs could be jeopardized with continued investment in natural gas.
“A coal plant does not have to close completely for our coal mines to shut down. It just has to run less. When coal power use drops, mines close and communities collapse,” Sanson said.
However, McPhail insists that all types of generations will be needed and does not believe that jobs in one sector or another are being compromised.
“Our energy workers are not competing against each other; we’re competing against everyone else to be an energy leader, and it’s going to take both coal and natural gas to do that.”