Sean Hovorka, production superintendent Trapper Mining, holds coal from the Trapper Mine on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, in Craig, Colo. Hovorka, also recently elected member of the town's city council, sees a future in mining because of renewables. CRAIG, Colorado — In a quiet valley tucked away from Colorado’s bustling ski resorts, far from his hometown in northern Mexico, Trinidad Loya found a way to support his family’s American dream: Coal.
The same scenario is playing out in other small towns across the U.S. After decades of relying on coal for their workforce, tax base and way of life, the towns face uncertain futures as new state and national legislation forces the retirement of fossil fuels because of the worsening effects of human-caused climate change. Only a few towns have a viable plan to transition to cleaner energy,The impact spreads beyond the plants workers and is felt by the rest of the community, too.
In winter months, the town, known as the elk hunting capital of the world, houses thousands of hunter groups donned in camouflage and bright orange who come to the area in search of game. Tens of thousands of hunters stay in the town’s hotels and frequent the local restaurants. According to a Colorado Parks and Wildlife report, the hunting industry brought $136 million to northwest Colorado in 2017.
The loss of coal jobs in a community like Craig also will hurt small businesses whose customers are primarily coal workers and have disposable income, said Jennifer Holloway, executive director of the Craig Chamber of Commerce.When discussions about the end of coal began, many in the town were in denial and some thought the decision would waver with the political winds.
Many coal workers are frustrated and angry at the decisions made by Denver-based politicians that affect rural communities. They see other nations like China andTwo-thirds of the world's coal is used for electric power, according to Carlos Fernandez Alvarez, a senior energy analyst for the International Energy Agency. For western, more developed nations which have diversified their power systems and become more efficient, energy demands are not increasing.
For the Loyas, as for other coal families, the power plant afforded them a lifestyle they wouldn’t have had otherwise. “That 14% of folks that become unemployed, that concerns me,” Nelson said. “Who are those folks and how do we help them and support them?”
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