Coal-industry group's study suggests higher energy costs weigh on poor the most

The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) recently released a study that suggests lower- and middle-income families suffer the most when energy prices increase.

The recently published study is the 2016 edition of the “Energy Expenditures by American Families” report. The study -- using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Energy Information Administration -- found that 40 percent of U.S. families, or 51 million households, earns $1,643 per month, with 17 percent going toward energy bills. For the poorest 25 million families, that number is 22 percent.

“It is a sad fact that family incomes have been declining, and that forces families to make difficult decisions whether to spend their shrinking take-home pay on food, clothing, health care, or electricity,” ACCCE President and CEO Mike Duncan said. “Using all of our country’s abundant resources, including coal, helps lower- and middle-income families by keeping electricity prices affordable.”

The ACCCE said electricity derived from coal can keep costs down and said the industry has cut emissions by 92 percent since the 1970s.