People also ask
How can we put coal miners back to work?
A simpler way to put coal miners back to work, then, may be to find them jobs in the oil or natural gas industry. But is that less radical of a change? Geographically, there isn鈥檛 major overlap between coal and natural gas jobs.
How many coal miners still work in the US?
In August 2016, fewer coal miners were employed in the US than anytime in modern history: just 48,600. A year later, little more than 50,000 miners are working, but the industry is still in dire straits-layoffs and mine shutdowns have led to rampant unemployment in West Virginia, Kentucky and Montana.
Why are out-of-work miners leaving California?
When there鈥檚 no geographic overlap, out-of-work miners are forced to relocate, which is burdensome. A state like California, Jordan explains, has almost no coal or natural gas reserves ( there鈥檚 only one coal-fired electricity plant in the state, and the state is cutting down on natural gas fueled ones), so utility prices are typically higher.
Are companies financing retraining for ex-coal miners?
And still short of a movement, companies financing retraining have been slowly popping up in coal country. The Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Goldwind wants to tap into ex-miners鈥?electrical knowledge and offer them training as wind technicians.
