Coal Counties Protest Proposed Hydrogen Project, But Were Silent During Legislative Session

Coal Counties had an opportunity to oppose proposed subsidies, but did not do so because they believe the subsidies would all go to existing coal interests one way or another.

Last regular legislative session, I spent a lot of time focusing on and opposing the set of bills that we referred to as the "Coal Bailout Agenda" (see below for the history of that coverage).

Much of this agenda was done under the guise of developing quote "clean and sustainable energy" projects. Specifically what are called "value added" projects that would create a new market for coal-based industry now that Minnesota intends to close its market to coal-based power in the coming decades.

HB 1452 was the primary vehicle for creating the "clean sustainable energy fund" (with on-going funding being put in HB 1380).

As Managing Director of the North Dakota Watchdog Network, I was one of the few people to testify against this and the other "coal bailout agenda" bills.

So it is very interesting that in recent days, all of a sudden, coal counties are now obj…