Kentuckians can handle the truth, the coal truth and nothing but the truth

Natural gas is expected to overtake coal this year as the country’s No. 1 source of power and could continue to underprice coal for the next 20 to 50 years. Kentucky Power chief Greg Pauley said that because natural gas and wind energy are “the price winners,” demand for coal isn’t coming back “no matter who is elected in November.”

Yet, Republicans from Donald Trump right down the ballot to Kentucky legislative candidates are holding out false promises that the outcome of this election can bring back coal jobs. They’re even accusing pro-coal Democrats like House Speaker Greg Stumbo, who never saw a strip mine he didn’t like, of waging “war on coal.”

And they revile the few Democrats — presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and congressional challenger Nancy Jo Kemper — who are telling the truth and offering concrete ideas for creating new jobs and opportunities.