Congressman McGarvey Introduces Bill to Continue Investing in Mining Communities
WASHINGTON, DC (November 21, 2024) — Today, Congressman McGarvey introduced a bill to extend the highly successful Clean Energy Demonstration Program on Current and Former Mine Land (CEML) program. The CEML program is already transforming communities across coal country, including in Eastern Kentucky, and it's critical that Congress continue to invest in programs to help the states that powered the 20th century grow and thrive in the 21st century.
“Kentucky and beyond will benefit in perpetuity from these investments,” said Rep. McGarvey. “For too long our communities have been left out of the conversation. That's why I am proud to introduce this bill to keep Kentucky and communities like it seated at the table as we reclaim our energy dominance.”
The Clean Energy Demonstration Program on Current and Former Mine Land (CEML) was created through the Biden-Harris administration’s historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to help deploy clean energy projects on currently operating mine land and convert inactive mine land for clean energy projects. The program was created with the goal of creating replicable projects and demonstrating the economic viability of private sector conversion projects.
This program is expected to bring approximately 1,500 construction jobs and 30 operations jobs to Eastern Kentucky for unions and students enrolled in local technical colleges, and it will create an opportunity to add millions of dollars in state tax revenue over the project’s lifetime.
“The Department of Energy's Clean Energy on Mine Land program is an important initiative to help mining communities turn liabilities into assets, particularly in coal mining communities hit hard by the decline of the coal industry,” said Chelsea Barnes, Director of Government Affairs and Strategy for Appalachian Voices. “We applaud Congressman McGarvey for his leadership to help create new energy jobs in mining communities, and urge Congress to extend the authorization for this innovative program."
This bill is endorsed by: Appalachian Voices, Appalachian Citizens Law Center, Kentucky Resources Council, Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR), Citizens For Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture), Kentucky Conservation Committee, and the Prairie Rivers Network.
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