Coal Lobbying Down as Industry Throws Weight Behind Legal Battle
- Producers slash spending as falling demand forces bankruptcies
- Supreme Court halted carbon rule challenged by coal companies
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Cash-strapped coal companies are reaching the conclusion that energy policy is a matter for the courts rather than Congress. As dwindling demand puts pressure on mining companies to cut costs and climate rules threaten their very survival, many are shifting scarce resources from lobbyists to lawyers.
"They’re not reducing their political efforts; they’re simply shifting tactics," said Jeffrey Berry, a lobbying expert and professor of political science at Tufts University. "As we’ve found with many EPA regulations, going to court can put a monkey wrench in the administration’s plans.”