Akins appears on Fox News
Nick Akins, AEP president and chief executive officer, recently was interviewed by Fox News as part of a story that ran on Fox Aug. 1 under the title, “Coal-state lawmakers fight to save industry.”
The story centered around a visit by West Virginia legislators Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Rep. Nick Rahal (R-W.Va.) with new Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy. The coal state delegation told McCarthy that EPA regulations are “strangling the industry.”
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| AEP CEO Nick Akins discusses the impact of EPA regulations on the coal industry with Fox News. |
The story noted that some 130, or one-sixth, of all coal-fired plants in the country have already been idled by EPA regulations and tough competition from natural gas.
Akins pointed to the ripple effect on the economy when plants are idled, since they provide not only direct employment, but also a tax base for schools and services.
“In many cases, these plants are the communities that are being served in terms of fire protection, taxes, those kinds of things,” said Akins. “This is having a dramatic impact on these communities as a result.”
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