At issue | Dec. 15 Associated Press article, “GE to expand in Louisville; New line of washers adds 400 jobs, solidifies future for Appliance park;” Dec. 17 Herald-Leader editorial, “Green technology generating jobs; GE plant’s rebirth sign of the future”
By Mark Burris
Kentucky possesses an abundant natural resource — coal — that provides jobs for our people, economies for our communities and affordable electricity for our nation.
In fact, over half of the electricity consumed in our nation’s homes, schools, businesses and factories is generated by coal.
But that is lost on outside activists and their bureaucratic allies in Washington, D.C. All too often we see the crowd from outside of our state descend on coal country in an effort to stop coal mining, and specifically surface mining.
Evidently, Kentucky’s heritage and economy don’t factor in the outsiders’ equation as they work with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to kill a critical industry.
What the outsiders don’t want you to know is that coal creates jobs far beyond the coalfields of east and west Kentucky.
A perfect example of this happened in Louisville recently when Jim Campbell, CEO of General Electric’s Consumer and Industrial Appliances division, announced that his company was moving 400 jobs from its operation in China to Appliance Park in Louisville.
There’s nothing physically wrong with the Chinese factory, and it won’t be cheap to move those jobs here.
So why do it? While Louisville has an exceptional work force that makes it an attractive place for any company, one of the chief reasons GE made its decision was because of coal. Plain and simple, electric rates here are low because of Kentucky coal and that’s why GE made its move.
Over half of American electricity comes from coal. In Kentucky, 94 percent of electricity comes from coal and our mining industry supports tens of thousands of jobs.
Coal gives Kentucky some of the most affordable electricity anywhere, the final factor that enabled GE to bring 400 jobs to Louisville.
The company I work for provides good jobs to people in nine states because of the coal industry. We aren’t engaged in mining operations at our headquarters on Poplar Level Road, but the people who work with me at Rudd benefit because of the coal industry.
Along with GE, Rudd is another example of how coal positively impacts the economy even in places where there are no coal mines.
When the professional activists and outsiders attack coal, they are attacking American workers and holding back economic recovery by killing jobs during a terrible recession. Decisions like the one made by GE show that we can speed economic recovery by embracing coal as a part of our national energy plan.
Coal helps create jobs in Louisville and across the country. Businesses like GE and Rudd are taking action and providing real solutions, made possible by coal.
If you want to know the real score when it comes to fixing our economy, don’t ask one of the outsiders who could care less about jobs in our state.
Ask a local business owner what it takes to keep the lights on and to create jobs. I am sure he or she will quickly tell you that lower electric rates brought to you by coal help tremendously.
Mark Burris is president of Rudd Equipment Company, headquartered in Louisville.
