Exclusive: ‘King Coal’ still prevails as one of the most affordable, reliable and remarkable energy sources – and the US still have a lot of it, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey to Fox News Digital in an interview in an interview at the winter meeting of the National Governors Association.
Morrisey acknowledged the current race of America with China and the most powerful nation in terms of both energy development and AI technology. West Virginia, he said on Saturday, tries to lead the way.
“I am still very hopeful that there is a future for coal,” said Morrisey. “Let me explain why: we are now about to start a weapon race of information technology with China.”
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Travelers are greeted by a welcome board from West Virginia after crossing the East River Mountain tunnel on I-77 in Princeton. (Charles Creitz)
“And we have to overtake what they do in terms of the Chinese use of coal and many, many different types of fuel sources, because we cannot let them lead because they build capacity in AI, super intelligence, robotics and advanced production.”
Although both countries are likely to rely on the progress in nuclear energy and hydraulic fracture for natural gas, the “resilience, availability and affordability of coal,” he said.
“I think there is a chance … to increase the capacity of some of the coal -fired power plants that have been delayed in recent years. Because if we don’t, we will not compete with the Chinese.”
The governor said that one of his top priorities is to reduce the coal infrastructure and industry from the Bergstaat to a higher capacity.
“I think it is very necessary from a national security perspective.”
West Virginia Produced 89 million tonnes of coal in 2021, according to the last data recorded by the Miners’ Office. That figure fell sharply from the 1940s to the end of the nineties, when the state was on average 130 million tonnes per year.
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Wyoming remains tops in American coal production, followed by West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Illinois.
“West Virginia is the American energy state. We are so rich in resources: coal and natural gas and water. And we have many opportunities for us,” Morrisey continued, adding that he was encouraged by the substantive two -part discussions at the NGA with regard to To accelerate the energy permitting process at a state and federal level.
“So if you think about how you can take advantage of those opportunities, you think of transmission, you think of allowing,” he said, following the Democratic government Josh Shapiro of the adjacent Energie Powerhouse Pennsylvania, who promised on Friday applicants Pay if there are delays there or if things go wrong.
In terms of the role of the mountain state in what Morrisey and other governors at the NGA called the “AI-Weapon race” with China, it is predicted that the state will build on the predecessor of Morrisey, now Sen. Jim Justice’s efforts to grow the technical industry of the state.
“I have always said that we have to do everything possible to add this kind of high -tech companies and jobs In West Virginia“Said Justice in 2019.” We have so many people in this state who are gifted above faith and who can fill these places and do incredible work. It is really a pipeline of talent. “
On Saturday, Morrisey also thought about his group meeting with President Donald Trump, cabinet secretaries and his colleague governors in the White House.
“They understand that you cannot move energy with the speed of slow. And so we would like to work with them,” he said, adding that Trump promised to the governors that he would try to eliminate 10 regulations for everyone adds his administration to it Toe.
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“I think that states such as West Virginia and Pennsylvania and many other states have the opportunity to work closely with the Trump government. It will be a lot easier because they know how important it is to re -American energy Robbery – If you get the permit on the right. “
Morrisey also spoke about his response to the action of the Trump government against illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs across the southern border.
Last month, Morrisey issued an executive order that was aimed at illegal immigrants in his state, which led to five dozen people being held pending the verification of immigration status in the state’s regional prison system.
The governor noticed West Virginias An unfortunate place like the state with the most deaths by overdoses per head of the drugs and said that both his immigration policy and Trump are needed to repair that systemic crisis.
“We work hand in hand with ice to identify illegal aliens and to ensure that they can be deported. And this is really important to do, because, as President Trump said yesterday, when you remove many of these illegal aliens from the System, you are going to see a reduction in crime “
“It requires states to work with the federal government to ensure that we confirm our position a little and stop all the horrific consequences of what happened to the illegal immigrants who come in. I know we really in West Virginia The impact of this felt the enormous amount of death from the Fentanyl Flood (ING) from China (via) the Mexican drug cartels. “
Sophia Compton from Fox News Digital has contributed to this report.
