Coal executive: Trump 'can't bring mining jobs back'

[Cripplecreek]

The head of the largest private coal firm in the U.S. says President Trump won’t be able to bring back coal industry jobs despite a push this week to deregulate fossil fuels.

Robert Murray, the founder and CEO of Murray Energy, said Trump should “temper his expectations,” given the way market forces — rather than regulations — have hurt the coal industry and reduced employment.

“I suggested that he temper his expectations,” Murray told The Guardian. “Those are my exact words. He can’t bring them back.”

Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Tuesday undoing several Obama-era climate regulations, including many opposed by the coal industry. 


http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/325891-coal-executive-trump-cant-bring-mining-jobs-back

He isn't beating up on Trump, only suggesting that Trump not raise expectations too high. The demand for coal isn't as high as it once was.

[mountaineer]

This guy wouldn't beat up on Trump, as he contributed a lot of his own money to get him elected. The truth is, we need coal - and we also need its by-products. Demand for coal as a source of electricity may be down, perhaps in part to the increased availability of natural gas, but we shouldn't discard it yet. Coal has a lot of value to this country, if we can just "fix" the EPA enough to appreciate it.