December 17, 2026 - The United Mine Workers of America said today that proposed gas-fired power plants in West Virginia will directly eliminate coal jobs, weaken local economies, and shift control of the state’s energy future out of West Virginia.

Union leaders and coal miners raised the concerns during a press conference in Charleston, calling gas expansion a clear case of fuel switching that threatens tens of thousands of mining, transportation, and supporting jobs.

“Every new gas plant replaces coal generation, and that means fewer coal jobs. That’s not a theory, it’s a fact,” said Brian Sanson, International President of the UMWA. “You cannot claim to support coal while building competing power plants and expect workers not to pay the price.”

UMWA leaders pointed to proposed gas facilities near existing coal-fired plants will potentially eliminate thousands of union jobs across West Virginia.

“A coal plant doesn’t have to close to destroy jobs, it just has to run less,” Sanson said. “When coal use drops, mines close. When mines close, communities collapse.”

Coal currently generates about 85 percent of West Virginia’s electricity. The union said large-scale gas expansion would inevitably push coal aside, regardless of claims that coal will “remain in the mix.”

“These projects are sold as job creators, but the math doesn’t work,” said UMWA International Secretary-Treasurer Mike Phillippi. “Gas plants operate with a skeleton crew. Coal plants and coal mines support entire local economies.”

The UMWA also warned that West Virginia ratepayers will bear the financial burden through higher electric bills, while out-of-state corporations and investors profit.