President Biden: U.S. will be ‘shutting down’ coal plants and move to wind, solar; White House walks back comments

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) took aim at President Joe Biden on Saturday when he said he was “divorced from reality.” Manchin’s remarks came after Biden suggested he would shut down coal plants nationwide.

“I was in Massachusetts about a month ago on the site of the largest old coal plant in America,” Biden said at a Friday event, according to Fox Business. “Guess what? It cost them too much money. They can’t count. No one is building new coal plants because they can’t rely on it. Even if they have all the coal guaranteed for the rest of the existence of the plant.”

“So it’s going to become a wind generation,” Biden said. “And all they’re doing is it’s going to save them a hell of a lot of money and using the same transmission line that they transmitted the coal-fired electric on.”

He added, “We’re going to be shutting these plants down all across America and having wind and solar power, also providing tax credits to help families buy energy efficient appliances, whether it’s your refrigerator or your coffee maker, for solar panels on your home, weatherize your home, things that save an average, experts say, a minimum of $500 a year for the average family.”

Manchin shot back at Biden’s comments, accusing him of ignoring rising energy costs in America.

“President Biden’s comments are not only outrageous and divorced from reality, they ignore the severe economic pain the American people are feeling because of rising energy costs. Comments like these are the reason the American people are losing trust in President Biden and instead believes he does not understand the need to have an all in energy policy that would keep our nation totally energy independent and secure,” Manchin said.

The Republican National Committee also hit out at Joe Biden, saying: “Joe Biden celebrates coal plant workers losing their jobs.”

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended Biden and argued that his comments were taken out of context.

“The President’s remarks yesterday have been twisted to suggest a meaning that was not intended; he regrets it if anyone hearing these remarks took offense,” Jean-Pierre said.

She added, “The President was commenting on a fact of economics and technology: as it has been from its earliest days as an energy superpower, America is once again in the midst of an energy transition. Our goal as a nation is to combat climate change and increase our energy security by producing clean and efficient American energy.”