Forcing the market to preserve coal assets through legislation or litigation is like swimming into the current to save yourself — wasting precious energy with little result. Rather than fighting the inevitable, we should put our energy toward helping coal communities transition to a more sustainable and economically promising future. Former mines and other coal assets like power lines, machines and buildings could save hundreds of millions of dollars for new industry, while also reusing existing cleared land to avoid disruption to migration corridors.
To kick off the Broadband Initiative, the JTF has invested nearly $1 million in eight organizations working to close the digital divide in coal-impacted communities across the U.S.
The effort to help displaced coal workers had a rocky start, but there is better coordination across the state and a few grant awards are initiating programs to get the ball rolling.
The federal Economic Development Administration has awarded the Wyoming Energy Authority $595,000 to establish a Wyoming Energy Regional Economic Coordination Office. The office will help local governments assess their potential needs and determine their own priorities for how to adapt to a rapidly changing energy landscape, according to the Wyoming Energy Authority.
