By Steve Keenan
Staff Writer
May 07, 2008 03:49 pm
—
Toiling in an underground mine for 17 years before his company closed and he lost his job, Illinois state Rep. Dan Reitz feels he knows something about the importance of coal to the United States’ energy future.
And he was in West Virginia earlier this week telling folks he thinks presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama is the best individual to move the country forward in that and many other arenas.
In an appearance at WVU Tech Monday, Reitz discussed Obama’s energy policies, met with miners and shared with potential voters why he feels Obama is the candidate who can deliver change.
Reitz, who represents the 117th legislative district in southern Illinois, said Obama, also from Illinois, has listened to the issues of his constituents over the years and done his best to help them deal with their problems.
“He’s the person we need as the next president of the United States,” Reitz said after his stop at WVU Tech. “He’s done a great job at the state and federal level for Illinois.
“I’ve just been impressed by his work ethic, and he’s done a great job of grasping the issues.”
According to his Web site, www.barackobama.com, Obama’s plan for a clean energy future includes reducing carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050, investing in a clean energy future, supporting next generation biofuels, setting America on the path to oil independence, improving energy efficiency 50 percent by 2030, and restoring U.S. leadership on climate change.
Obama says he will invest $150 billion over 10 years to “advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, invest in low-emissions coal plants, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid,” according to the candidate’s Web site.
Also, Obama pledges to double science and research funding for clean energy projects, including those that make use of the country’s biomass, solar and wind resources, and he says he will “significantly increase the resources devoted to the commercialization and deployment of low-carbon coal technologies,” the Web site said.
The candidate also supports implementation of a market-based cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions by the amount scientists say is necessary: 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.
“He is from a coal state; he’s worked on coal issues,” said Reitz. “He’s always been a friend and advocate (of coal).”
Reitz said processes discussed at WVU Tech Monday, including a program that would take more mercury out of coal slurry ponds, could be a part of the nation’s energy future. “That fits well into Senator Obama’s energy plan,” Reitz said. “His aim is to make coal a better product.”
Reitz, who has served in his current post since 1997, also made appearances at WV for Obama’s Charleston headquarters, at Delightfully Yours Bakery Café in Beckley, and at the launch for Women For Obama In West Virginia at the Callen McJunkin Gallery in Charleston.
At Beckley, Reitz told the Register-Herald: “We can’t run this nation unless we use coal. We need to invest in clean coal technology and put people to work and burn our coal and fuel our country in a clean, efficient manner.”
Later that day, he said an Obama presidency would be a “fresh start” for the country. And, Obama “has brought a lot more people into the process. It’s exciting to see new people, young people, involved.”
— E-mail: skeenan@register-herald.com
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.