This may be a sign for the Power Plus campaign.

JBK

http://www.thedaonline.com/opinion/article_698b302e-bb37-11e5-9cfc-972865511f65.html

Securing W. Va.’s economic future www.thedaonline.com With decreasing profits from prominent industries like natural gas and coal, Tomblin urged people to consider reinvesting in West Virginia’s mining communities.

Like President Barack Obama, West Virginia governor Earl Ray Tomblin is reaching the end of his second and final term. In his final State of the State address on Wednesday, Tomblin addressed current issues in West Virginia and offered potential solutions to the problems.

Though coal is West Virginia’s most notable industry, it’s no surprise that this state will eventually run out of all minable resources. The decline in both the national gas and coal industries in the state indicates the beginning of what can only be a continuous economic fall. Without any other industry to support this state’s residents, families will end up in poverty if an alternate source of jobs for unskilled workers isn’t found.

West Virginia is too mountainous to hold any true farmland, and though the tourism industry draws many fisherman, hikers and whitewater rafters, it may not be enough to support this state’s economy. However, If miners can currently remove entire mountaintops as a way to harness energy, building wind turbines on untouched mountaintops and training workers to maintain them should solve both our energy needs and create new sources of jobs and revenue in West Virginia.

In 2014, West Virginia only had 327 wind turbines while Pennsylvania had 720. Wind energy jobs are already found in every state, and looking into the possibility of expanding our wind energy output may be the start of a slow transition away from relying upon mining onto permanently utilizing renewable energy.

Tomblin should stop hanging onto the ways of the past and start spearheading the search for new industries and livelihoods able to support West Virginians permanently. Getting this process started for our next governor to continue during his or her time in office is critical in ensuring the protection of West Virginia’s economic future.