Besides writing on modern coal issues, Biggers is also a historian. His last book gave me a new perspective on the role of coal in the history and growth of Illinois. Check out his recent Huffington Post blog about the events of October 12, 1898, which used to be known as Virden Day.
The State Journal-Register has an article about Biggers that includes sentences I never expected to read in the local paper.
Coal-fired energy is dirty, expensive and contrary to a strong economy.
So says Jeff Biggers, an author and playwright scheduled to speak Wednesday evening at Lincoln Library in downtown Springfield.
“Illinois is becoming ground zero for the new coal rush,” Biggers said. “The rest of the nation is moving away from coal. … Coal is eventually going to become as costly as any other energy resource.”
Biggers, whose appearance is being sponsored by the Sierra Club, argues that coal already is more expensive than many people realize. In Illinois, he points out, state government has given coal mines millions of dollars in subsidies. And if coal is good for the economy, Biggers asks, why are the coal fields of Appalachia and southern Illinois in such financial distress?
“You think of poverty when you think of Appalachia, which is Coal Central,” Biggers says.
This is a crucial point since the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity overemphasizes coal as the chief economic development engine for downstate Illinois. Every proposed coal project receives official support from DCEO representatives who act as taxpayer funded lobbyists for the coal industry.
We need a better economic development plan for the regional economy. You can join the discussion about a new energy future Wednesday.