This morning's story in the Charleston Gazette by the indispensable award-winning environmental reporter Ken Ward Jr. says:
Gov. Joe Manchin said Tuesday that he opposes President-elect Barack Obama's plan to cap greenhouse gas emissions to try to curb global warming.
Manchin said he told Obama recently that he's "on a different page" regarding Obama's proposal for a carbon dioxide emission "cap-and-trade" program. The governor said he's concerned the federal government will impose such emissions on coal-fired power plants before utilities come up with workable plans to control those emissions.
Manchin spoke during the opening session of his second annual Energy Summit, a gathering of industry officials and boosters at Stonewall Resort. The governor repeated his pledge to next year introduce legislation to encourage more alternative energy production in West Virginia. But he did not provide details of his plans, and said that alternative fuels will not replace the nation's reliance on coal.
"Coal is the cornerstone fuel of the future," Manchin said. "Every economist and expert I talk to says we're going to use it, but in a different form."