THE DECLINE OF COAL? THE HOLCOMB POWER PLANT INCIDENT, THE AMERICAN STATES, AND ENERGY POLITICS
Over the last decade, major economic, political, and regulatory changes have occurred in the U.S. that influenced the utilization of coal. The resource once held a dominant role in the energy market at the national and subnational level, and was capable of adapting to the federal and state air regulatory regimes and was cheap, abundant, and reliable. However, new rules by the Environmental Protection Agency, challenges at the subnational level, the resurgence of alternatives such as natural gas, and the polarization and decline of public opinion toward the resource have created barriers for coal. Using market predictions, state level data, elite interviews, and survey data, this study finds that the decline of coal is mostly real, but the industry is predicted to make a resurgence in a couple of decades because of changing international markets and technology.
Political Science, Public policy, Public administration, Clean Air Act, climate change, coal, environment, power plants, race to the bottom
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