Stivers said the executive orders have, quote, a two-pronged approach.
"The first was to incent and create a better dynamic for the permitting, mining, and distribution of coal."
The Senate President said the second encompasses regulations.
"In the Carter administration are still in existence, which really aren't applicable to current mining technologies."
Many research organizations point to burning fossil fuels as a leading cause of climate change. When questioned about the debates, Stivers responded,
"The assumption that fossil fuels are, a contributor to climate change is subject to debate. If we want to debate that, and I'm gonna tell you, I can't say that it is or is not."
Stivers believes helping coal fire plants stay open in Kentucky and allowing coal production to be competitive with renewable energy sources will boom Kentucky's economy not only on a state level, but for communities still struggling to recover after mines shuttered.
"It won't just be miners going back to work. It'll be all the peripheral jobs that will come back that you'll see that used to be there, that people will mine supply store, lumber companies, little grocery store, mom and pop operations," Stivers said. "That's the hope."
According to Kentucky's energy and environment cabinet, coal accounts for 68% of Kentucky's electricity portfolio and is the Commonwealth's primary energy source.
Energy experts say any bump for coal under Trump will likely be temporary because natural gas is cheaper, and there's a durable market for renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, no matter who holds the White House.
