Bobby Jindal says Jeb Bush willing to hide GOP principles
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is suggesting Jeb Bush is out of step with Republican principles in the party’s presidential race. Bush departs from some conservative Republicans with his policies on immigration and education. The former Florida governor has said GOP presidential candidates should be willing to “lose the primary to win the general” election. Jindal told The Associated Press on Monday that’s another way of saying Republicans should hide their beliefs in an effort to be more appealing to the media and Democratic voters. “We have tried that … we have lost.” Jindal said. “We need to embrace our principles.” Jindal’s comments came during a three-day campaign swing through New Hampshire, host of the first presidential primary. He’s struggling to gain traction in the big pack of candidates and part of his strategy centers on courting the religious wing of the Republican Party. Unlike in Iowa, religious conservatives do not make up a large part of the Republican voting bloc in New Hampshire. Jindal said he’ll make headway here by sticking to Republican principles and promoting his record as a two-term governor. Voters, Jindal said, want candidates who are honest and say what they really believe. Although Bush was the only Republican candidate Jindal mentioned by name, he did say the country needs a president with executive experience — a popular line for several governors seeking the nomination. “We don’t just need a talker … we’ve got a first-term senator in the White House who needed on-the-job training,” he said. “We can’t afford more of that.” Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky are all running for president while serving their first Senate terms, as did Barack Obama on his way to the White House. When asked, Jindal said he disagrees with businessman Donald Trump‘s recent comments that Mexican immigrants are criminals and rapists, but declined to criticize Trump or his presidential candidacy further. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce makes early entrance into 2016 Senate contests
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is jumping in early to help Republicans hang onto control of the Senate in 2016, and going immediately on the attack. The Chamber is paying for new television ads starting Monday in Ohio and Pennsylvania, home to two of the Senate’s most endangered GOP incumbents. The ad in Pennsylvania promotes Sen. Pat Toomey as a practical conservative who’s “not afraid to reach across the aisle to find solutions.” The spot in Ohio, by contrast, focuses exclusively on Sen. Rob Portman‘s likely Democratic challenger, former Gov. Ted Strickland, blasting job losses and budget deficits on his watch and accusing him of “crippling Ohio’s economy” before going on to lead a “liberal think tank.” “Say no to Ted Strickland,” it urges. The election is still well more than a year away, and the Chamber has not started advertising this early in previous cycles. But the group’s political director, Rob Engstrom, said the time was right to start defining the terms of the debate, especially in states that will be critical to the presidential race. “I think it’s really important for us and for others to pick those key moments in those states that are going to be so important at the presidential level,” Engstrom said. The ads will run for 10 days on broadcast, cable and online. Republicans are playing defense in Senate races nationally as Democrats try to pick up the five seats they would need to retake the Senate majority they lost last November (four if they hang onto the White House, since the vice president casts tie-breaking votes in the Senate). A spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee called the Chamber’s early move a “clear sign of panic.” “Washington special interests are spending big bucks early for Sens. Portman and Toomey, because they’re terrified of losing two of their favorite lapdogs who are vulnerable due to long records of catering to outside interests instead of working families in Ohio and Pennsylvania,” said spokesman Justin Barasky. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
As Republican infighting grows, donors call for calm
Worried about “Republican on Republican violence,” top party donors are taking action, with one firing off a letter calling for more civility and another seeking to block businessman Donald Trump from the debate stage altogether. Foster Friess, a Wyoming-based investor and one of the party’s top 20 donors in the last presidential contest, issued a letter to 16 White House prospects and the Republican National Committee late last week calling for candidates to stay on the “civility reservation.” “Our candidates will benefit if they all submit to Ronald Reagan‘s 11th Commandment, `Thou shall not speak ill of a fellow Republican,’” Friess wrote in a copy of the letter sent to Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus and obtained by The Associated Press. In the dispatch, Friess cites the backing of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts. “Would you join the effort to inspire a more civil way of making their points?” Friess wrote. “If they drift off the `civility reservation,’ let’s all immediately communicate that to them.” The call for calm comes as the sprawling Republican field shows signs it could tip into a bare-knuckles struggle for the nomination — a scenario that the party’s elite donors see as a distressing echo of four years ago. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Monday charged that Republicans don’t need Texas Sen. Ted Cruz‘s “lectures.” Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker repeatedly dismisses Republicans in Congress as doing little. And Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul regularly jabs his Republican opponents by name. Yet no candidate has injected more provocation into the 2016 Republican presidential primary than Trump. While few party officials see the reality television star as a credible candidate, he has lashed out at a growing number of Republican critics who have condemned his recent description of Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists. Trump over the weekend posted a message from another user on his Twitter account charging that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush “has to like the Mexican illegals because of his wife,” Columba, who was born in Mexico. Campaigning in New Hampshire over the weekend, Bush said he “absolutely” took the remark personally. Trump has not apologized, but spokeswoman Hope Hicks on Monday said, “This was a retweet from somebody else” about a news story. But Trump stood firm on his comments about immigrants Monday, saying “the Mexican government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States,” and “criminals, drug dealers, rapists” are among them. He said “many fabulous people” come from Mexico and the U.S. is better for them, but this country is “a dumping ground for Mexico.” Republican donor John Jordan said Monday that GOP leaders should take steps to block Trump’s access to the first presidential debate in early August. Organizers at Fox News, backed by the Republican National Committee, have released guidelines allowing the top 10 candidates in national polling to participate. Trump would qualify under the current terms, while contenders such as Ohio’s two-term Gov. John Kasich would not. “Someone in the party ought to start some sort of petition saying, `If Trump’s going to be on the stage, I’m not going to be on there with him,’” Jordan told AP on Monday. “I’m toying with the idea of it.” “It’s something I feel strongly about as somebody who not only cares about the Republican Party, but also Latinos,” Jordan said. Even as the other candidates say they’re trying to avoid intraparty backbiting, however, they can’t seem to avoid it. In an interview Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, Cruz refused to condemn Trump’s comments, saying he’s not going to perpetrate “Republican-on-Republican violence.” Christie, who entered the presidential race last week, wasn’t having it. “I find it ironic, right, that Ted Cruz is giving lectures on Republican-on-Republican violence,” Christie said on Fox News, accusing the Texan of sponsoring hardball ads against Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander in 2014 primaries. “I mean, all due respect, I don’t need to be lectured by Ted Cruz.” The Republican National Committee has dramatically reduced the number of primary debates before the 2016 contest largely to avoid the kind of attacks that bloodied their 2012 nominee, Mitt Romney. As the last GOP nomination heated up in January 2012, Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich got particularly nasty. Gingrich joined Obama supporters in attacking Romney’s business background, calling him a “vulture capitalist.” Donors remember those exchanges well and fear a repeat of primary vitriol would lead to another general election loss. “Ninety-nine percent of leading donors saw the candidates carve each other up in the 2012 primaries and come out weaker for it and are determined not to let that happen again,” said Fred Malek, who has helped raise money for GOP presidential candidates for four decades. Responding to Friess’ letter, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee wrote he plans on “becoming the nominee by playing a better game, not by breaking the legs of my rivals.” “I hope that we don’t commit fratricide again as a party,” Huckabee wrote, according to a copy of his response obtained by AP. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Hillary Clinton says she opposes boycott effort against Israel
Hillary Rodham Clinton says in a letter to American Jewish organizations that she opposes a grassroots protest movement promoting boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel over policies involving the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. Clinton said in the letter released Monday that she agreed on the need to make countering the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction movement, or BDS movement, a priority. Then Thursday letter sought advice on how to “fight back against further attempts to isolate and delegitimize Israel.” “As you know, BDS seeks to punish Israel and dictate how the Israelis and Palestinians should resolve the core issues of their conflict. That is not the path to peace,” Clinton wrote. The BDS movement has gained strength on U.S. college campuses and in Europe. The Israeli government and many Jewish leaders have called the movement anti-Semitic and an attempt to discredit Israel. BDS advocates say it is based on the campaign against South African apartheid and is aimed at Israeli policy, not Jews, after two decades of failed peace talks and expanded Israeli settlement of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Clinton said she was concerned by attempts to compare Israel to South African apartheid. “Israel is a vibrant democracy in a region dominated by autocracy, and it faces existential threats to its survival,” she wrote. The letter was addressed to each of the presidents in the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations as well as Haim Saban, an Israeli-born U.S. media mogul and top Clinton donor who hosted Clinton at a Los Angeles fundraiser in May. It comes as the U.S. is working with allies to complete a nuclear agreement with Iran, which has been eyed warily by American Jewish leaders, and the Obama administration has sought to repair ties with Israel. Clinton’s campaign said the candidate had heard about the issue from a number of people over the past few months and wanted to seek advice from others who share her concerns. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Donald Trump doubles down on immigrant comments
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is doubling down on his description of Mexican immigrants as criminals. The GOP businessman issued a statement Monday responding to critics in and out of his party. Trump called Mexican immigrants criminals and rapists as he launched his presidential bid last month. Several businesses, including NBC, Univision and Macy’s department stores, have cut ties with Trump. In his new statement, Trump said, “The Mexican government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States.” In many cases, he says, they are “criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc.” He said, “Many fabulous people come in from Mexico and our country is better for it.” He then called the United States “a dumping ground for Mexico.” Trump is among more than a dozen Republicans running for president. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
U.S. House of Representatives: July 6-10
The U.S. House of Representatives returns Tuesday after a weeklong holiday recess ready to tackle a busy July agenda. They’ll begin with a vote on three noncontroversial bills under suspension of the rules. After Tuesday’s suspension votes, members will resume consideration of H.R. 2822: the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY 2016. The bill provides a total of $30.2 billion in discretionary spending in FY 2016 for the Interior Department, the EPA, the Forest Service and a variety of other agencies. That total is $246 million (1 percent) less than current funding and $3.1 billion (9 percent) less than requested by the Obama administration. It’s considered a controversial bill because it decreases funding for EPA by 9 percent and limits the EPA’s regulatory authority. It also cuts funding for Forest Service activities and for the Fish and Wildlife Service. Other legislation on the floor for a vote this week includes: H.R. 5: the Student Success Act. The House originally began consideration of H.R. 5 in February, but postponed completing consideration at that time. The bill reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, sometimes also referred to No Child Left Behind, NCLB). The bill makes fundamental changes to many ESEA programs. Alabama co-sponsors: Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-1) H.R. 6: the 21st Century Cures Act. This bill is a bipartisan medical research and innovation bill intended to assure American leadership in biomedical research for the future and to allow drugs to get to patients more quickly, while also ensuring they are safe and effective for use. Alabama co-sponsors: Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-3) H.R. 2647: the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015. The bill would modify federal forest management practices by restoring fundamental land management capabilities to the U.S. Forest Service, such as routine thinning practices to improve forest health and reduce wildfire threats. Alabama co-sponsors: Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-6) Aside from the floor activity, the House will continue to work with the Senate through a conference committee to resolve the differences between their two versions of the National Defense Authorization Act. They are hoping to produce a final conference report before the August congressional recess, despite that President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the defense policy bills produced by both of the chambers.
Governor Bentley made 19 appointments to 12 boards last week
It has been a busy couple weeks for the Governor’s recently promoted appointments director Will Edwards. Governor Bentley made 19 appointments to 12 different boards last week. You can find more information on open board positions on the appointments webpage. Advisory Board of Conservation and Natural Resources Grady Hartzog Ben Stimpson Acting Secretary of the Office of the Alabama Office for Regulatory Oversight of Boards and Commissions Randy Salle State Reciprocity Committee Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd Jackson County Revenue Commissioner Jeff Arnold Dallas County Board of Registrars Carl Nelson One-Call Commission Jimmy Gray John Kauffman Allen Baker Criminal Justice Oversight and Implementation Council Franklin Johnson (chair) State Child Death Review Team Joseph Godfrey Marian Loftin Jerry Williams Sallye Longshore Chris Newlin Truancy Commission Jared White Department of Youth Services Board William McDowell TVA Regional Energy Council Lance Brown Historic Ironworks Commission Benjamin Littleton
Jim Zeigler: Confederate items “quietly” returned to Capitol museum shop
In the wake of what State Auditor Jim Zeigler has called a “purge” of Confederate history in the Montgomery Goathill Museum gift shop where Alabama history is commodified, Zeigler says “someone vested with authority” has replaced a few of the items of the dozens that went missing on Thursday. In a release Zeigler – who called the recent gesture by Gov. Robert Bentley to take down the Confederate-era flag that flew near Alabama’s capitol rotunda a “deceptive political move” and also opposes the museum purge – enumerated the items as follows on Monday: Jefferson Davis memorabilia coin A book of all the different Confederate flags A deck of cards with the same Actual mini flag of the 1st Confederate flag (Stars & Bars, not the battle flag) and the 2nd Confederate flag (mostly white) Patch for the flag “It appears they were re-shelved in the dark of night to make it look like this is not a purge of Confederate history. The vast bulk of what was missing is gone,” said Zeigler told Alabama Today on Monday. “I do not think the officials who did this saw the light, I believe they felt the heat,” he added, expanding upon his earlier remarks he believes the Bentley administration has not acted in good faith as it relates to the state’s fast-vanishing officially sanctioned Confederate iconograpy. The inventory and findings, incidentally, were observed by one of Zeigler’s new volunteer investigators, part of a program within his statewide office he intends to expand according to remarks late last month. A letter from Zeigler to Governor Bentley sent last week on the same subject reads as follows: Dear Gov. Bentley: My office received information today that you had had The Goathill Museum Store in the capitol remove all Confederate items. We double checked this. My assistant has just walked down from our office to the store, and the items are indeed gone. Personnel are saying this was done on request of the governor’s office. Your office has just contacted me saying you did not actually do this. The Confederate history items are definitely missing from the museum store. I now request that you contact the Goathill Museum Store and whoever has authority over them. Please put in a request from the governor that the Confederate items be returned to the store. Right now, everybody is trying to blame someone else and no one is taking responsibility. You can clear this up with your request to return the Confederate history items to the museum store. Please let me know if you will take this simple step to clear this up, or else let this part of our history remain removed from the museum store. Thank you. Sincerely, Jim Zeigler P.S. I tried to buy some miniature diecast Confederate soldiers. They are gone. Last week the Anniston Star reported that the Governor’s communications director said, “The governor did not order any of those items to be taken down.”
Hillary Clinton offers reassurance to gay youth in Web posting
Boosting her social media outreach to younger voters, Hillary Rodham Clinton is seeking to offer reassurance to gay youths in a posting that is drawing wide online attention. “Prediction from a grown-up: Your future is going to be amazing,” Clinton wrote Friday on the Facebook page for Humans of New York, a popular blog. “You will surprise yourself with what you’re capable of and the incredible things you go on to do. Find the people who love and believe in you — there will be lots of them.” The Democratic presidential candidate made the comment below a picture of an unidentified boy on that Facebook page with a tearful expression and a captioned quote that reads, “I’m homosexual and I’m afraid about what my future will be and that people won’t like me.” The Clinton campaign confirmed Sunday that the posting, which is signed with an “H,” came personally from her. The posting has since drawn more than 68,000 “likes” as of Sunday evening and her reaction was noted in various news reports. Clinton has been seeking to embrace youth culture and gay rights activism, having put the issue of gay marriage near the forefront of her campaign. The former secretary of state backed gay marriage in 2013 after she left the State Department. That followed President Barack Obama‘s announcement during the 2012 presidential campaign that he supported gay marriage. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Presidential primary brief: 491 days until Election Day
Welcome to the Monday presidential primary brief provided by Alabama Today. Every week you can find your latest headlines on the presidential primary races as we count down the days until Election Day. 237 days until AL Presidential Primary 491 days until Election Day Convention Dates: Republican July 18-21, 2016; Democratic July 25-28, 2016 Weekly Headlines: Chris Christie launches 2016 presidential bid Jim Webb announces 2016 presidential run Scott Walker formally enters 2016 presidential election Press Clips: What Jim Webb would need to do to win (NY Times 7/3/15) Mr. Webb’s voters may look a lot like him: ideologically idiosyncratic white men moved more by economic fairness and a noninterventionist foreign policy than cultural liberalism. His opposition to the Iraq war, among other foreign engagements, could offer Mr. Webb an attentive audience among some Democrats in dovish Iowa. And there may be a small band of populists and veterans in South Carolina who will Eind his background and message appealing. New Hampshire Democrats puzzled by Lincoln Chaffee (ABC News 7/3/15) Presidential candidate Lincoln Chafee stands before a few dozen people at a meeting of New Hampshire’s Belknap County Democrats. The Republican-‐turned-‐independent-‐turned-‐ Democrat gets nods of approval when he tells them he was the only Republican senator to vote against authorizing the war in Iraq. Then smiles turn to laughter when he pitches another idea: The U.S. should switch to the metric system. Scott Walker calls for respect on same-sex marriage ruling (CNN 6/28/15) Scott Walker said same-sex marriage proponents should respect the religious opinions of those who disapprove of same-sex couples having the right to legally wed. Speaking in Denver at the Western Conservatives Summit on Saturday, the Wisconsin governor spelled out his criteria for judges and weighed in on the religious liberty debate. “To me, it is not freedom from religion, it is freedom of religion, which ultimately means we have the right to practice our religious beliefs and not have others interfere,” he said in an onstage interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. Report: Joe Biden’s son told him to run in 2016 (Politico 6/29/15) Vice President Joe Biden’s sons reportedly urged him to run for the White House in 2016, according to The Wall Street Journal. Biden’s son Beau, who died last month of brain cancer at the age of 46, wanted his father to get into the race, according to the report. “It’s no secret that Beau wanted him to run,” Dick Harpootlian, a former chairman of South Carolina’s Democratic Party and a longtime Biden supporter, told the Journal. “If he does what Beau wanted him to do, he’ll run.” As left wins culture battles, GOP gains opportunity to pivot for 2016 (NY Times 6/27/15) A cascade of events suggests that 2015 could be remembered as a Liberal Spring: the moment when deeply divisive and consuming questions of race, sexuality and broadened access to health care were settled in quick succession, and social tolerance was cemented as a cornerstone of American public life. Yet what appears, in headlines and celebrations across the country, to represent an unalloyed victory for Democrats, in which lawmakers and judges alike seemed to give in to the leftward shift of public opinion, may contain an opening for the Republican Party to move beyond losing battles and seemingly lost causes. Rick Perry: Republicans must reach out to black voters (CBS News 7/2/15) Former Texas Governor Rick Perry said Thursday that Republicans have lost their “moral legitimacy as the party of Lincoln” after having given up on trying to win the support of African-‐Americans. Perry, who declared his presidential bid at the beginning of June, told an audience at the National Press Club that it’s time for Republicans to “reclaim our heritage as the only party in our country founded on the principle of freedom for African-‐ Americans.” He said Republicans have been “content to lose the black vote,” because they could win elections without African-‐American support. Poll: Bush, Trump rising nationally for GOP, but both trail Clinton (CNN 7/1/15) With nearly all of the expected 2016 presidential candidates formally in the race, a new CNN/ORC national poll Einds two recent entrants to the GOP Eield on the rise, while Hillary Clinton maintains her position atop the Democratic Eield, though holding a slightly slimmer lead. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and businessman Donald Trump top the list of GOP presidential contenders following their back-‐to-‐back campaign launches in mid-‐June, and are the only two Republican candidates holding double-‐digit support among Republicans and Republican-‐leaning independents. Lindsey Graham tells Iowan: I don’t want you to vote for me (CBS News 7/3/15) Conservative Sen. Lindsey Graham has made it clear he’s extremely concerned about the threat of Islamic terrorism, but he isn’t willing to outlaw a whole religion over it. When a voter in Iowa suggested barring Islam in the U.S. in response to ISIS, Graham quickly shut him down, the Des Moines Register reports. “You know what, I’m not your candidate,” Graham said, cutting him off. “I don’t want you to vote for me. I couldn’t disagree with you more.” Romney to host Christie, Rubio in New Hampshire (Politico 7/3/15) Mitt Romney is opening up his sprawling New Hampshire vacation home to 2016 rivals Marco Rubio and Chris Christie this weekend. Christie and his wife Pat are planning to have dinner with the former GOP presidential candidate on Friday night at his home near Lake Winnipesaukee and spend the night, according to a report in The Washington Post. On Saturday they plan to walk in the town’s Fourth of July parade, which is a tradition for the Romney family.
Alabama business roundup: Headlines from across the state
Here’s a roundup of some of the top weekend business headlines from across the state: AL.com: Japanese auto investment climbs in the U.S., including Alabama Total investments by Japanese automakers in their U.S. operations reached nearly $43 billion last year, according to new data from the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association. That’s up from $40.6 billion in 2013. Direct employment at the automakers also grew to 91,122, up from 82,816 the previous year. “These figures demonstrate the ongoing commitment of Japanese automakers to the U.S. auto market and they signal a new day in Japanese brand auto manufacturing in America,” Ron Bookbinder, General Director of JAMA USA, said in a prepared statement. In Alabama, Japan’s Honda and Toyota each have a major manufacturing presence, and they have been part of the growth. Honda’s $2 billion, 4,000-worker auto assembly plant in Talladega County recently kicked off production of the redesigned 2016 Pilot SUV and officially opened a $71 million, highly-automated engine assembly line. During the past three years, the plant has announced new investments of more than $508 million for projects to improve flexibility, enhance quality and increase production. It also has added more than 450 jobs. As for Toyota, the automaker’s Huntsville engine plant last year marked an $80 million expansion project and the production of its 3 millionth engine. It is the only Toyota plant worldwide to produce four-cylinder, V-6 and V-8 engines under one roof. Birmingham Business Journal: Report: Walter Energy bankruptcy talks accelerate Walter Energy Inc.’s negotiations with creditors are accelerating and could trigger a bankruptcy filing by July 15, according to a report. Bloomberg is reporting that the Birmingham-based coal company and its senior creditors are in negotiations that could result in the company being handed over to lenders. The company has declined to comment on the report. Lenders are offering to back a loan to fund the company’s operations during bankruptcy and are asking for union support of the plan in exchange for financing the loan, according to the report. Walter (NYSE: WLT) has been in bankruptcy negotiations for the last three months, as the metallurgical coal market has taken a severe downturn. Related: Coal War: Alabama mining sector rocked by shifting market According to the report, Walter’s senior lenders also want the company to file for bankruptcy by July 15, which is the end date for the grace period on a $19 million interest payment due to junior bondholders. Walter’s fortunes have declined dramatically in recent years. Its stock, which once traded at more than $100 per share, now hovers around 20 cents per share. The company has also notified hundreds of employees of potential layoffs if the coal market doesn’t turn around. Birmingham Business Journal: Coal War, Part V: Could natural gas spell trouble for coal in Alabama? *Editor’s Note: This is the fifth and final installment of the BBJ’s five-part online series investigating the state of Alabama’s coal industry and its future.* Energy swapping is occurring at utilities around the country, and Alabama Power Co. is no exception. The Birmingham-based subsidiary of Southern Co. was recently ordered by the Environmental Protection Agency to expedite its efforts to cut coal-fired emissions. The company will achieve this by permanently closing three coal-fired units in Alabama, in addition to swapping four others to natural gas. Despite the cuts, Alabama is one of the leading states for electricity output – generating more in April 2015 than Mississippi and Kentucky combined, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. The new regulations, however, favor Alabama Power swapping its energy usage from coal to natural gas, which could mean changes in rates and employment down the road. It’s a trend that could also affect Birmingham’s coal industry, which is already reeling from a number of other market factors. Natural gas vs. coal in Alabama Michael Sznajderman, a spokesman for Alabama Power, told the BBJ that the company expects to see the trend of replacing coal use with natural gas to increase in the future. “We are switching some coal units to natural gas … Renewables may also play a big role in our fuel mix in coming years,” he said. Sznajderman said the company historically purchases 25 percent of the coal used from Alabama producers. At the end of the first quarter of 2015, coal accounted for 47 percent of the sources of generation for all of Alabama Power’s production – down from 54 percent in 2014, Sznajderman said. This comes out to roughly 11.75 percent of Alabama Power’s total energy use coming from coal mined in Alabama, where thermal coal is secondary to the more expensive and abundant metallurgical coal – which has taken a major hit due to the downturn in the steel market. Thermal coal accounts for just 9 percent of coal exports from the state. “We support having a diversity of fuel sources,” Sznajderman said. “Having that ability to move from one fuel source to another gives us important flexibility to keep our rates affordable amid fluctuating fuel prices and changing regulations.” In the market While natural gas may seem like a burgeoning threat to coal production in Alabama, production and withdrawal of natural gas in Alabama has decreased sharply since peak withdrawals from Alabama gas wells in 1996. Coal production in Alabama hit its peak in the same decade, topping out in 1990 at 29 million tons of capacity, before embarking on its recent decline. American exports of natural gas – some of which comes from Alabama – has seen a steady rise in price since peak production, while natural gas imports have followed the opposite trend, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Jason Hayes, associate director of the American Coal Council in Washington D.C., told the Birmingham Business Journal the motive behind energy swapping is simple to understand – bottom line efficiency. “What we are seeing is fuel switching, so natural gas prices are staying low, and the swapping is basically the utility industry saying ‘If we can produce the most electricity for the least amount of money, then
