The governor of West Virginia is pitching the idea of federal coal subsidies to President Trump, in which the federal government pays power plants to buy Appalachian coal.
It’s an idea that Trump is “really interested” in, said Gov. Jim Justice, who made headlines last week for switching political parties from Democrat to Republican as Trump visited the state.
Justice told Bloomberg News that the government would pay coal power plants $15 per ton of steam coal mined in his state and others in the eastern part of the country. The price per short ton of Appalachian coal ranges between $45 and $52 on the spot market.
“He’s really interested. He likes the idea,” Justice told the news service. “Naturally, he’s trying to vet the whole process. It’s a complicated idea.” A federal subsidy program would require congressional approval, as well as survive the ire of some conservative groups who oppose federal subsidies.
Read more at the Washington Examiner.
