MACED was invited to testify at a February 12 congressional hearing titled “Climate Change: Preparing for the Energy Transition.” The hearing was organized by the House Committee on Natural Resources’ Energy and Mineral Resources subcommittee as a part of their series of hearings about climate change and the ways communities are transitioning away from fossil fuel-based economies.
In his testimony, MACED President Peter Hille highlighted the stories of several Kentuckians who are building new economic opportunities in their communities, many of which have lost more than half of their population to outmigration.
Brandon Dennison, CEO of Coalfield Development Corporation, also testified about efforts in West Virginia to rebuild the economy.
An article, titled Coal Community Leaders Urge Congress To Include Them In Climate Action, by Ohio Valley Resources, a regional journalism effort supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, summarized the hearing, describing how both Hille and Dennison testified to the opportunities created by previous federal investment in the region through the Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER grants and the Abandoned Mine Land Pilot program.
Hille’s testimony emphasized concrete examples of how business owners are making their businesses more energy efficient, saving tens of thousands of dollars a year as a result; retraining programs that hire former coal industry employees to learn how to do energy efficiency retrofits on homes and business; and, efforts to address substance abuse.
“We must reinvest in our communities to make them places where young people will want to stay, where people will be able to retire to, or vacation to,” Hille said in his comments. “Amenities and resources needed to revitalize these communities are themselves economic drivers creating jobs and livelihoods—the local food restaurant, the coffee shop, the farmers market, the craft brewery– housing, healthcare, and a quality of life that many people are looking for today.”
For the full video of the testimony, please visit here. With the verbal testimony limited to five minutes, MACED also submitted written comments.
For more information on MACED’s energy programs, please visit here.
Note: We recently featured Brandon and Coalfield’s work in our blog here.
