The Coal Trap by West Virginia University College of Law professor James Van Nostrand was recently reviewed by Kenneth A. Barry in the Energy Law Journal. The review appears in volume 43, issue 2 of the journal and is titled "The Coal Trap: A Broadside Against West Virginia Energy Politics and Economics."
The Coal Trap was published by Cambridge University Press in July 2022. More information about the book is available at: https://www.thecoaltrap.com
From the publisher's website:
Between 2009 and 2019, West Virginian politicians aligned themselves with the interests of the coal industry to the substantial detriment of the citizens and economy of the state. Despite the undeniable low-carbon transformation that was occurring in the energy industry in the US during this period, state political leaders doubled down on coal. Rather than provide the leadership necessary to manage the transition of the state's economic drivers away from fossil fuels, they largely blamed the demise of the coal industry on the federal government. At every turn, the interests of the coal industry were placed above the economic and environmental health of West Virginians. James Van Nostrand tells the story of why West Virginia now faces overwhelming obstacles to competing in the economic marketplace of the twenty-first century. The book serves as a warning of how a fair energy transition can be derailed by political failure.
Find more of Professor Van Nostrand's scholarship his
SelectedWorks scholarship profile.