The Legislature finds that: (1) Over 600 coal-fired electric units nationally have been forced to close; (2) Eighteen coal-fired electric units within West Virginia's borders have been forced to close; (3) Markets for West Virginia coal have been severely diminished due to the closure of regional coal plants to the point that West Virginia coal shipments have been reduced from 162 coal plants a decade ago to only 43 plants today; (4) West Virginia coal mines are forced to close, resulting in West Virginia coal miners being out of work, compromising homeland security and defeanse measures, and threatening grid stability and resiliency; (5) It is imperative the State of West Virginia take immediate steps to reverse these undesirable trends to ensure that no more coal-fired plants close, no additional jobs are lost, and long-term state prosperity is maintained; (6) Throughout the past decade, no group has been hit harder by the decline of coal than West Virginia's coal miners and their families. Many coal miners are struggling to make ends meet and provide for their families; (7) In addition to workinLg toward sustaining coal employment levels and coal-based, electric generation, the State of West Virginia should take immediate steps to provide education, training, and retraini ng opportunities for displaced coal miners and their families; (8) West Virginia coal-fired power plants should continue to provide base load generation critical for maintaining slow, steady generation that produces power on a continuous cycle, ensWures grid stability, and protects against overloads and power shortages; (9) West Virginia coal and electricity generated in West Virginia are relied upon throughout a multi-state region, thus playing a vital role in regional homeland security; (10) West Virginia's coal fleet, comprised of nine individual plants and 25 units, is fueled on average by a total of 25 million tons annually; accounts for over $2 billion of economic activity; and sustains approximately 3,500 mining jobs, 2,000 plant worker jobs, thousands of downstream and indirect local and surrounding county jobs, and hundreds of millions of dollars of payroll and tax dollars; (11) The role of West Virginia and West Virginia coal in regional homeland security is of paramount importance; thus, it is incumbent for our state to continue to provide leadership in this increasingly critical area in order to sustain and protect our regional electric supplies; and (12) Public electric utilities in West Virginia should be encouraged to operate their coal-fired plants at maximum reasonable output and for the duration of the life of the plants.
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