Colstrip at forefront of coal debate at Montana Legislature

[TexasTowelie]

When it comes to the coal debate in the Montana Legislature, there are forces at work outside of Helena.

Namely, President-elect Donald J. Trump.

While campaigning, Trump promised to bring the coal industry back to its former glory. And most recently, he made Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt the head of the Environmental Protection Agency — a man who made his name challenging the EPA and President Obama. But even then, there are question marks surrounding what will actually happen, and when.

Among those keeping an eye on the federal government is Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell.

“I think maybe at the state level we’re going to have to wait and see what direction the EPA is going,” he said. “I doubt Mr. Trump is going to have a war on coal the way Mr. Obama did. The direction could be changing on energy.”

Read more: http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/mtleg/colstrip-at-forefront-of-coal-debate-at-state-legislature/article_7a5d1e20-55f4-599b-8c3b-bc3403127ddb.html

[tenaciousdem]

1. Coal isn't going to make a comeback

Coal burning power plants are converting to natural gas. It's much cheaper and much cleaner to burn. I guess they could continue mining coal and just make big piles of it for all of us to look at. Perhaps a billion years from now those big piles of coal will be diamonds.