Rajiv Ravulapati, 314-644-1011, 630-390-6221 (cell), rajiv.ravulapati@sierraclub.org
Columbia, MO -- Noting that there are more than 3,000 times more clean energy jobs in Missouri than coal production jobs in the state, a group of mid-Missouri clean energy business owners and advocates spoke out today against the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts to Missouri in the EPA budget as well as EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s promotion of coal and polluter interests over Missouri clean energy businesses and jobs.
“The cuts to the EPA being pushed by President Trump and Scott Pruitt are not just bad for our environment, they are bad for our economy. Jobs in the solar industry, as well as other forms of clean energy and energy efficiency, are outpacing nearly every other sector of the economy. Renewable energy is where the growth is, with good, well-paying jobs. The cuts to the EPA budget for Missouri will stop this growth in its tracks,” said Caleb Arthur, CEO of Missouri Sun Solar.
The recent report Clean Jobs Midwest by Clean Energy Trust and Environmental Entrepreneurs finds that there are over 52,000 jobs in the clean energy sector in Missouri with a projected growth rate of over 8 percent. In contrast, there are only 15 jobs producing coal in Missouri, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Annual Coal Report for 2015.
Arthur’s comments came at an event at Missouri Sun Solar’s Columbia office, held in advance of a visit by Pruitt, who was to be joined U.S. Senator Roy Blunt at the Thomas Hill Energy Center northwest of Moberly on Thursday, April 20. Thomas Hill is a coal-fired electric plant owned by Associated Electric Cooperatives Inc. (AECI). According to a 2010 study by the Clean Air Task Force, air pollution from the Thomas Hill plant is responsible for an estimated 14 deaths, 22 heart attacks and 240 asthma attacks per year. AECI has also been purchasing pollutant allocations rather than operating modern pollution controls installed at the plant.
“We are literally talking about life and death, in some instances. These cuts may lead to the type of coal-fired air pollution that has lead to higher rates of asthma and other medical problems across our state. Kids are dying prematurely from these diseases, and those numbers will go up if we reduce the EPA’s common sense protections against air pollution,” said retired physician Dr. Gordon Christensen.
Retired nurse Janet Nuse said, “This is also about plain common sense. Wind and solar are cheap now, in many instances cheaper than coal. And once a wind or solar farms are built, they have zero input costs, as the sun and the wind are free. Investing now means major savings over time. It’s a shame that Scott Pruitt and Sen. Blunt are still promoting the continued use of dirty fossil fuel sources like coal.”
“I’m proud that the City of Columbia has committed to transitioning away from coal to clean energy. With our plan to purchase wind energy from Clean Line, we are making an investment in our future, a future with cleaner air and more jobs. The cuts to the EPA will result in fewer efforts like ours. I hope Administrator Pruitt and Sen. Blunt hear our call to stop these dangerous cuts to the EPA and focus instead on investing in a clean energy future," said Columbia City Council Member Karl Skala.