Coal miners praise Trump, say coal keeps electricity affordable and reliable
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Summary
Two coal miners at a public event credited President Trump’s support for the coal industry with helping keep electricity prices down and argued coal provides a reliable backstop for the electric grid during extreme weather; no formal policy action was recorded.
Two coal miners who spoke at a public gathering on Feb. 13 praised President Trump’s support for the coal industry and said coal helps keep electricity affordable and reliable.
Caleb Blackford, a haul-truck driver at the Bear Run Mine, introduced himself and said, “My name is Caleb Blackford. I work at the Bear Run Mine. I drive a haul truck, and I think what the president has done for the coal industry is really important, and we're able to keep electricity prices down.” Blackford’s remarks credited federal support for benefiting coal workers and for lowering energy costs, as he described them.
Vernon Roche III, who identified himself as a coal miner at Shoal Creek Mine, said he has been in the industry for 16 years and described how coal is moved from underground to power plants. “Conveyor belts are the machines that we use to transport coal from 600 to 1000 feet below ground to the surface where it goes to power plants that fuel America's energy,” he said. Roche added, “We are thankful for President Trump's commitment to coal to bring affordable energy to American people,” and reiterated that “clean coal keeps the lights on.”
Speakers framed their remarks around two related claims: that actions taken during the Trump administration have helped miners and the coal sector, and that coal provides a dependable source of electricity during extreme cold and heat. The speakers made these assertions as personal testimony; the event transcript records no vote, ordinance, or formal policy action arising from the remarks.
The testimony included technical detail about mining operations (conveyor belts hauling coal from roughly 600 to 1,000 feet underground) and personal context (Roche’s 16 years in mining). The speakers emphasized economic and reliability benefits to consumers but did not supply supporting data, such as measured changes in electricity prices or grid performance statistics, in the recorded remarks.
No government official, regulatory action, or statute was cited during the comments. The event, as recorded in the transcript, consisted of public testimony and statements of support rather than deliberation or formal decision-making. The record ends with thanks from the speakers and contains no indication of next procedural steps.