"American Electric Power Co. and Southern Co. will not renew their membership in the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity next year, leaving the prominent trade association without any utility members.
The announcement from two of America's top burners of coal followed questions from E&E News about the utilities' continued membership in ACCCE, which has promoted a federal bailout for struggling coal plants and cheered the rollback of the Clean Power Plan, even as AEP and Southern announced plans to shut down coal plants and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
"It was something that was convenient for them when there wasn't any scrutiny, but as soon as they face real questions about their membership in a coal lobbying group they know it can't be justified," said Joe Smyth, a researcher who has written about the pair's lobbying efforts at the Energy and Policy Institute, a watchdog that supports renewables."
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