HARRISS VOWS TO PROTECT FOSSIL FUEL PLANTS & JOBS

HARRISS VOWS TO PROTECT FOSSIL FUEL PLANTS & JOBS

Supports Sen. Bryant's Efforts to Promote Clean Coal

GLEN CARBON, IL – In response to efforts by Southern Illinois Republican Senator Terri Bryant to stave off the closure of coal and gas power plants under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, candidate Erica Conway Harriss issued a statement in support of keeping plants open and workers employed.

“I commend Sen. Bryant for her leadership in working to keep our coal and gas plants open in Southern Illinois,” Harris said. “Consumers are feeling overwhelmed by rising energy costs and jobs are disappearing because of the short-sighted policies of the Democrat-led General Assembly.

A product of lengthy negotiations between climate activists and energy companies the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, which passed in 2021, set forth a plan to close fossil fuel plants in central and Southern Illinois by 2045. Sen. Terri Bryant of Murphysboro has long advocated to give energy companies options, to preserve jobs, and to eliminate arbitrary deadlines that threaten to drive up energy costs and put Illinoisans out of work. She has introduced legislation that would address these issues and fund clean energy technology to modernize existing fossil-fuel plants.

“I support Sen. Bryant’s initiatives and am committed to keeping fossil-fuel jobs and power plants as a part of our strong southern Illinois energy economy. Our people need relief and one way to provide it is to protect the energy resources we have and embrace technology to make these resources cleaner, not shut them down,” Erica said.

SOURCE:

https://www.wgem.com/2022/07/25/southern-illinois-lawmaker-says-fossil-fuel-plants-should-stay-open-meet-energy-demand/