Coal is not the only resource mining and power plant communities possess. From Appalachia to the Uinta Basin, coal communities have rich human and cultural capital, diverse natural resources, and enormous economic potential. Clinton will partner with the local entrepreneurs, community leaders, foundations and labor groups working to unleash that potential, making federal investments that help people to find good jobs without having to move and build a strong, diversified economic future.
Build infrastructure for the 21st century. The infrastructure in coal communities today was built to mine, ship, and burn coal. Unlocking new drivers of economic and employment growth in these communities will require new infrastructure that connects workers to new jobs and companies to new markets. Clinton’s infrastructure investment program will include a focus on economic diversification and revitalization in coal communities, building new roads, bridges, water systems, airports and transmission lines, including completion of the Appalachian Development Highway System. She will also work with the Department of Transportation and the railroad companies to develop a strategy for leveraging available rail capacity previously used to ship coal to support broader economic development in coal-producing regions.
Repurpose mine lands and power plant sites. With rich soil and abundant water, abandoned coal mines can provide prime real estate for new investment – whether in forestry, agriculture, or manufacturing. But significant remediation, site preparation, and infrastructure development is often required before this land can be successfully repurposed for new economic activity. Clinton will unlock existing unappropriated resources from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to help finance this work. Clinton will provide similar support for redevelopment of retired coal power plant sites to attract new investment, such as Google’s plans to build a data center on the site of a recently closed coal plant in Alabama.
Expand broadband access. In the 21st century, reliable high-speed internet access is as economically vital as traditional infrastructure like roads, rail and bridges. Many coal communities lag far behind the rest of the nation in level of internet connectivity. Clinton will increase high-speed broadband access and adoption in coal communities, improving education and healthcare delivery and connecting local entrepreneurs and workers to the global economy.
Expand clean energy on federal lands and from existing dams. Most Western coal production takes place on federal lands, but coal is far from the only energy resource these lands possess. For example, Wyoming is the nation’s largest coal producer, but also has the richest wind resources in the Western electrical grid. Clinton will work to capture this potential by streamlining federal permitting both for the renewable energy projects themselves and the transmission lines required to get that renewable energy to market.
Existing dams are another large source of clean energy potential. The Department of Energy estimates 12 gigawatts of generation capacity could be added to these dams, enough to power Alaska, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont combined. More than half of this potential is in large coal-producing states. Clinton will launch a major public works project aimed at electrifying existing dams in partnership with the Army Corp of Engineers, private hydropower developers, local utilities and labor unions.
Increase public investment in research and development. To help seed the next wave of innovation and industry creation, Clinton will increase public investment in research and development at universities, national labs and other institutions in coal-producing regions. Given the important role that carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology can play in meeting long-term global climate change objectives, Clinton will support CCS R&D and demonstration projects, both in the electric power sector and in industry.
Attract private investment through an improved New Markets Tax Credit and zero capital gains taxes. Complementing the public investments in infrastructure, land, energy, and innovation described above, Clinton will attract new private investment by extending and expanding the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program so all communities suffering from a decline in coal production or a coal plant closure qualify. The NMTC program has steered billions in investment to low income neighborhoods since it began in 2000. Clinton will also offer companies a chance to eliminate capital gains taxes on long-term investments in hard-hit coal communities.
