So, like, I interviewed this dude named Jeffrey Willig, right? He used to be a coal miner, digging underground for nine whole years until his company, Blackjewel, decided to lay off a bunch of workers without paying them. Can you believe that? They literally didn’t even give them their last paycheck. So, Jeffrey and the others were like, “Nah, we ain’t having it,” and they blocked the company’s trainload of coal from leaving Harlan County, Kentucky. And that’s how their little protest started. They were all like, “Hey, Democrats and Republicans, help us out here,” but in the end, they felt kinda let down by both sides.
This whole situation happened during a time when a bunch of coal mines were closing down, and Democrats were all talking about clean energy jobs. Jeffrey was pretty annoyed by that. He was like, “Sure, solar panels are cool, but why not bring those jobs to our area?” He felt like mining was a good gig, you know? He was making $75,000 a year without even having a college degree. That’s some serious cash, especially in a place where the average income is way lower. Plus, he loved the camaraderie and pride that came with the job. But when the mines shut down, he felt like nobody had a solid plan for what was gonna happen next.
Fast forward to President Trump’s first 100 days in office, and he’s all about bringing back coal jobs. He signed this executive order, calling it “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry.” Real fancy title, huh? He gathered a bunch of guys in hard hats and reflective stripes for the photo op, talking about how they were gonna benefit from his policies.
But here’s the thing — experts have been saying that coal is on the way out. It’s just not as cheap or efficient as renewable energy or natural gas. And let’s not forget about the whole trade war mess with China, thanks to Trump’s tariffs. That’s messing with our coal exports big time.
Now, Jeffrey isn’t in the coal business anymore. He got himself a job in manufacturing in Louisville. But he’s still keeping an eye on things, feeling a mix of frustration and hope as politicians keep promising to bring back those coal jobs. Can they really do it, though? Only time will tell.
I’m not really sure why this matters, but maybe it’s just me, but I feel like the coal industry is kinda going downhill no matter what anyone does. Just my two cents.
