BLUEFIELD — With leaders of the southern West Virginia coal industry grumbling with concerns over tighter federal control over surface mine permits and a perceived fear that climate change legislation will dramatically increase the cost of coal, U.S. Senator John D. “Jay” Rockefeller IV., D, W.Va. announced a $334 million federal investment in clean coal technology at a coal-fired power plant on the Ohio River.

Rockefeller, Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Mike Morris, president and chief executive officer of American Electric Power and Gov. Joe Manchin conducted a telephone press conference with about 25 reporters to announce the funding for the expansion of a carbon capture and sequestration demonstration project at AEP’s Mountaineer Power Plant near New Haven. AEP will match the federal funds granted through the Clean Coal Power Initiative and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“Times have changed,” Rockefeller said to the limited audience of reporters participating in a conference call. “We need to reduce our carbon emissions.” He added that the investment “allows West Virginia to take control of its future.”

Chu emphasized that “coal is very important” in the nation’s energy future, and pointed out that the U.S. has 25 percent of the world’s coal reserves. He speculated that the new clean coal technology will produce results in “8 to 10 years,” and said that the chilled ammonia process that will be tested at AEP’s Mountaineer Plant will be an important step in making the U.S. a leader in new clean coal technology.

Manchin expressed his thanks for Rockefeller’s leadership in bringing the investment to a West Virginia plant. Morris praised the announcement as being “a great day” for the utility, state and nation, because of the advancement of clean coal technology and the good-paying jobs on the horizon for people of the region.

After opening the teleconference to questions, Rockefeller and Manchin both spoke to the need to bring a measure of “comfort” to coal industry leaders and their financial backers. Rockefeller said that the thing he fears most is the present level of “uncertainty,” especially in response to the cap and trade or climate change bill that was passed in the House of Representatives during the summer and is now awaiting action by the Senate.

No discussion about the coal industry would be complete these days without an examination of the surface mining technique called mountaintop mining, and reporters hit the quartet with questions in that vein. Rockefeller expressed his support for the “bold statement” U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd D-W.Va., made in an opinion piece titled “Coal Must Embrace the Future.” Byrd points out in his writing that “most Americans” oppose mountaintop mining, as do most people in congress. He also said that coal producers can’t continue to deny the “mounting science of climate change.”

Rockefeller said statements by coal industry leaders in southern West Virginia are “scaring the heck out of people, and added: “We’ve got to get on a positive track in West Virginia.” He emphasized that the funds through the Clean Coal Power Initiative represents an “opportunity” for the state. “This is about saving the future of coal.”

Dan Pochick, president of Bluefield-based Rish Equipment said that rather than adding additional levels of federal bureaucracy to the future of coal, “the best solution is to return to the free enterprise system.

“This whole global warming thing, more and more, is becoming some kind of a forecasting model that, as time goes by, people are starting to think might be based on some questionable data,” Pochick said. “There’s more and more controversy about these models because they never accept any data that doesn’t agree with their point of view. Talk about scare tactics. They’re the ones who are scaring people.”

Pochick said that the administration may be concerned about climate change legislation, “but people are concerned more about jobs and the economy,” he said. “If you put a tax on coal that will double the cost of burning coal, everyone will have to pay for higher energy costs. About 40 percent of the coal around here comes from surface mines. If you take that away, can you imagine what will happen to the tax base in this state?”

The state Democratic Party praised the announcement concerning the funds from the federal stimulus bill coming into the state. “This announcement highlights responsible Democratic leadership on the state and national level to further develop West Virginia’s economy,” Nick Casey, state Democratic Party Chairman was quoted as stating in a press release.

“West Virginia is showing the nation and world that through research and technology, we can be part of the solution to the nation’s energy and environmental debate.”

— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com