The Shadow
Why I Fight for Coal
As Congressman of the Ninth District of Virginia, I am often invited to attend events at the White House, particularly on issues I am fighting for.
In 2025, I attended such an event at the White House when the President signed into law my HALT Fentanyl Act!
HALT Fentanyl permanently designates lethal fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I narcotics and helps law enforcement fight the opioid epidemic.
Another White House event in 2025 celebrated beautiful clean coal and featured several executive orders signed by Trump.
One of those orders reestablished the National Coal Council. Under the Biden Administration, the executive council was disbanded.
However, President Trump brought the Council back!
Recently, coal communities and Southwest Virginia heard of more positive news.
Trump invited me to a February White House event to celebrate him being named the “Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal.”
Also in attendance was my friend and president of Central Coal Company, James “Jim” Bunn, who subsequent to last year’s reinstitution of the National Coal Council, was named as one of the members of that Council.
While we were there, Trump announced new measures to support American coal!
One Trump measure instructed the Department of Defense to sign electricity purchase contracts with coal-fired power plants.
Our coal plants will help provide our armed forces with reliable, baseload power!
In addition, Trump announced the Department of Energy would provide $175 million to help modernize coal plants.
This money will help certain plants in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and Kentucky upgrade their facilities, extend electric generating operations and continue providing reliable, affordable electricity to American homes!
Coal plants, like the Virginia City plant in Southwest Virginia, continue to modernize our grid by employing innovative technologies that burn coal more cleanly or burn waste coal from legacy abandoned mine sites.
These modernization efforts will allow clean coal to continue serving reliable and affordable energy to the American people.
Earlier that same day, employees at coal plants that serve the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) also got welcome news.
The TVA Board of Directors announced that it would cancel planned coal plant retirements and extend operations at two of its plants!
The TVA operates four active coal-fired power plants with a combined net output of 5,944 megawatts.
The electricity generated and transmitted from TVA is sold to local power companies such as Powell Valley Electric Cooperative and the Bristol Virginia Utilities Board.
Accordingly, some Southwest Virginia communities will see continued grid reliability from this TVA announcement!
Nationally and regionally, it is essential to keep our coal-fired power plants online so that our electric grid is properly protected.
In the last year, we have seen extreme weather events push our electric grid to the brink.
Just last summer, an intense heat wave battered the United States, making many communities more reliant on electricity to survive the heat.
However, the increase in electricity demand prompted TVA to issue a warning to the public. They asked consumers to reduce electricity consumption to alleviate extraordinary pressures on the electric grid.
Recently, Winter Storm Fern also challenged our electric grid’s reliability. During the storm, electricity generated from coal-fired power plants increased by 31 percent.
PJM Interconnection, which serves Virginia and 12 other states, released data that showed that coal accounted for a major portion of the energy mix during this period.
Given these developments, coal continues to prove its worth to the American energy mix!
Coal operations in Southwest Virginia and the surrounding region continue to be important as well.
The money generated from coal also continues to be important to our region.
The United Company, headquartered in Bristol, Virginia, was formed when the founder of the United Coal Company, Jim McGlothlin, sold its coal assets and set up the new United Company.
The United Company has evolved into diversified operations including energy exploration, investment management and real estate development.
Additionally, the McGlothlins established the United Company Foundation to support arts, culture, education and charitable activities. This funding is greatly beneficial to the coal region of Central Appalachia.
Sadly, McGlothlin passed away last summer.
Company leadership recently met with me in DC to discuss issues they are working on. While there, I presented them with formal remarks I entered into the Congressional Record honoring McGlothlin and his legacy.
I support companies with ties to Southwest Virginia, including coal companies.
Accordingly, I will be in the forefront when Republicans fight back against coal plant retirements and advance policies that deliver affordable electricity.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at https://morgangriffith.house.gov/.
