A Letter from the CEO of The American Coal Council (ACC)

I write to you today on behalf of The American Coal Council (ACC) urging you to consider a balanced, reliable, secure energy model when considering provisions concerning energy policy. The ACC has long been concerned about our Nation’s rush to close coal powered energy sources in favor of renewables.

As a country we have one of the most diverse portfolios of natural resources which should allow us to be a country of energy independence. Americans have long enjoyed the luxury of reliable, affordable energy from coal, nuclear, natural gas and hydro. We also recognize the value in the investment our country has made in solar and wind, giving us more energy options as demand rises.

It is unfortunate that it is popular to support boutique energy policies which favor green sources of energy and villainize energy sources that are reliable and affordable and have provided low cost energy to the United States for many years. We only need to take a hard look at Europe to see the real world impacts of energy policy failure, along with the resulting dramatic increase in energy prices. Ironically, this is the same failed policy that the United States is considering. Europe’s aggressive move to green energy left them vulnerable to energy scarcity well before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. To denounce any one energy source is short-sighted and not in the best interest of our country.

In recent years the US has experienced repeated energy short falls during summer and winter months in regions that have moved to renewable energy as a primary energy source or have relied too heavily on base-load energy with limited or no on-site inventory. During weather events such as the one in February 2021 or December 2022 renewable energy sources were not as reliable as power plants fueled by coal. To suggest that a country with such a diverse portfolio of energy resources should ever face black out scenarios due to the shift to green energy, which dramatically impacts the health and welfare of its citizens, is completely unacceptable.

As Americans, we can no longer live our comfortable lives without understanding from where our basic needs come. Coal needs to be seen as part of the solution to our energy requirements. We must allow all of our natural resources to work together to achieve our goals rather than favoring one source of energy over another.

The American Coal Council represents the interests of the American coal supply chain: coal producers, consumers, transportation companies, and support service firms.

Kind Regards,

Emily Arthun
CEO American Coal Council