Published: June 28, 2009 12:56 am      

Climate bill

West Virginia’s representatives did their job, now our senators need to champion our cause

In voting 219-212 in favor of a sweeping energy-climate bill Friday, did the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives stop and think about the ramifications — higher energy costs for everyone and a movement away from coal that could cripple West Virginia?

Apparently not?

But then again, how could they think when there was political dealmaking going on? Like Rep. Alan Grayson, who won a pledge of support that $50 million from the proceeds of pollution permit sales would go to a proposed new hurricane research facility in his district in Orlando, Fla.

How could they when House Democrats, at 3:09 a.m. Friday, added 341 pages to a bill that had already grown to more than 1,200 pages, an amendment that included, among other things, language on building codes and new training for real estate appraisers?

House Republican leader John Boehner called the bill a “bureaucratic nightmare” that would cost jobs, depress real estate prices and put the government into parts of the country where it now has no role.

To their credit, West Virginia’s three representatives — Democrats Nick Rahall and Alan Mollohan, and Republican Shelley Moore Capito — threw partisan politics out the door. All three voted against the measure, Rahall and Mollohan breaking away from the Democratic majority to do so.

The three really had no choice as West Virginia representatives. And make no mistake: This legislation is bad for West Virginia as it places greater reliance in the future on renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, and away from fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal, all the while imposing reductions on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, and instituting a cap-and-trade system that both supporters and opponents agree would result in higher energy costs for consumers.

As we’ve said before, we have no problem developing other sources of energy. But not at the expense of coal, which has powered this nation for generations. Coal must remain a major player, and instead of throwing millions into a new hurricane research facility, Congress should be doing all it can to further research ways to burn coal more cleanly.

If coal is pushed to the back burner:

Will lawmakers appropriate any more money for clean coal technology initiatives?

Will coal companies continue to invest in equipment and untapped reserves?

Will West Virginians suddenly without jobs be able to pay all but guaranteed higher energy bills?

Now it’s the Senate’s turn to stop and think about that.

We fully expect our two representatives in the Senate, Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, will champion West Virginia’s cause like our House representatives did.