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Documentary to Outline Impact of Coal Industry’s Decline

Politico

East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) and its 16 owner-member electric cooperatives have released a second documentary film examining the effects of Eastern Kentucky’s declining coal industry on the region’s residents.

The film, “The People At The End Of The Lines,” documents the impacts on laid-off coal miners, local schools and people struggling to pay household bills.

“These are real stories of real people facing real struggles, and there are no easy answers,” said Tony Campbell, EKPC’s president and CEO. “It is important to tell their stories and make their voices heard, especially by federal policy-makers and regulators.”

Electric cooperatives serve some of the most pervasively poverty-stricken areas of Kentucky and the nation. In the areas served by EKPC’s 16 owner-member cooperatives, average household income is 25 percent below the national average and unemployment is 60 percent higher than national average.

“Eastern Kentucky is facing enormous challenges, and the rural residents served by our electric cooperatives are among the hardest hit,” said Campbell.

Since 2009, Eastern Kentucky has lost 8,500 coal-mining jobs, more than half the region’s coal-mining employment, as coal production has plummeted due to increased federal regulations, rising production costs and increased competition from natural gas.

“Our cooperatives see the impact when, suddenly, members can no longer afford to pay their electric bills because they’ve lost their jobs,” Campbell said. “We are concerned that federal regulations, especially the Clean Power Plan, will continue to force electric costs to rise beyond the means of many co-op members in Eastern Kentucky. That will be a cruel twist for a region that has fueled America’s economy for generations.”

The Clean Power Plan rule, which is scheduled to be finalized in coming months, is expected to effectively force utilities to cut back on the use of coal-fired power plants to generate electricity. EKPC has made prudent investments totaling nearly $1.7 billion in new coal generators and retrofits to existing coal plants over the past decade.

“If the federal rules mean EKPC cannot operate those plants efficiently, the additional costs will be borne by cooperative members,” Campbell said.

The 13-minute film is the second of a series documenting the struggles of Eastern Kentucky residents as the coal industry declines. The first film was released last summer.

EKPC and its owner-member cooperatives are supporting the Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) initiative started by Gov. Steve Beshear and Congressman Hal Rogers.

EKPC plans to show the film at SOAR’s strategy summit in Pikeville on May 11.

(story provided by East Kentucky Power Cooperative)

Paul Hitchcock earned his Masters in Communications from Morehead State University and Bachelors in Radio-TV/Psychology from Georgetown College. A veteran broadcaster for more than 40 years and an avid fan of blues, jazz and American roots music. Hitchcock has been with WMKY since 1986 and was named General Manager in 2003. He currently hosts "Muddy Bottom Blues" (Fri., 8pm-9pm), "Nothin' But The Blues" (Sat., 8pm-12am), "Sunday Night Jazz Showcase" and "Live From The Jazz Lounge" (Sun., 8pm-9pm) and "The Golden Age of Radio" (Sun., 2pm-3pm). He also serves as producer for "A Time For Tales" and "The Reader's Notebook."
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