The US presidential election
Here the election is decided - in a desolate ghost town
"The Harris supporters don't dare put up any signs here"
Wolfgang Hansson
Updated 15.49 | Published 15.38
Quick version
- The coal-fired power plant in Homer City, Pennsylvania, once a major economic engine, has been shut down as a result of cheaper fossil gas and a global reduction in coal use. This has led to a drastic reduction in jobs and population in the city.
- President Biden has promised green replacement jobs, but none have yet materialized in society. Homer City has applied for federal funds without success, while larger cities have been given priority, creating discontent among local residents.
- Opinion polls show an even fight between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, with Trump slightly ahead, in the state.
But now it and the rest of the coal-fired power plant only remain as a monument to a bygone era. Last year it was shut down.
As compensation, President Biden promised high-paying replacement jobs.
- We haven't seen a glimpse of them, says state director Rob Nymick.
We drive the hour or so from Pittsburgh to Homer City on a sunny morning. The sun's rays beautifully illuminate the orange-yellow foliage of the trees. But once we arrive in Homer City, the most depressing mood we encounter is despite the beautiful surroundings.
Until a few years ago, this was a prosperous settlement. There were plenty of well-paying jobs that attracted people to the city.
Optimism was especially great after Donald Trump, both when he was elected president in 2016 and in the election campaign that followed, promised to favor coal as an energy source.
The consequence was that many of the miners who had voted for the Democrats all these years instead voted for Trump. He managed to win the state but by a narrow margin and thus secured the presidency.
But the reality has not quite turned out to be what Trump promised.
"The age of coal is over"
- Coal mines are shut down on an assembly line, says Rob Nymick behind his desk in the town's small municipal office.- Coal is simply no longer profitable when fossil gas has become so much cheaper.
That is why the owners of the coal-fired power plant decided last year with 90 days' notice to shut it down.
Already during Trump's time as president, electricity production was cut back because the cost was too high.
- Trump can't set the prices, says Dick Yancy, who worked 40 years at the coal power plant before retiring a few years before the downturn began.
- I simply believe that coal's time is over. Unfortunately.
- Today we are fighting for our survival, says Rob Nymick, who with the serious tone wants to emphasize that he is not exaggerating.
- We have lost a large part of our population. Especially the young disappear because there is nothing for them here. Before the closure, we had 2,500 inhabitants. Now we are only 1,740 with a continued downward trend. The jobs at the coal power plant were well paid. People could afford to go out and have lunch at the local pubs. For every job at the coal plant, 15 other jobs were created, according to a Penn State University study.
Blocked again
Dick Yancy remembers the good times. He looks towards the huge facility outside of which we are standing and gets a little sentimental.- Many of the 1,500 who worked at the coal-fired power plant socialized in their free time. The company arranged barbecue areas and joint activities. We were a close-knit community. For the most part, we didn't have any major financial worries either. The pay was good and enough to support a family.
How has it changed, I wonder?
He leans forward and gets a sad expression on his face.
- We used to have 4-5 bars in town. Along the main street there was always a lot of activity. Look how it looks today.
He lets the words hang in the air for a moment.
- Most shops are blocked off and you meet almost no people. It's sad.
To show that the old coal worker isn't exaggerating, Bob Nymack takes us on a tour of Main Street. Dressed in a neon yellow hoodie, well-worn blue jeans and worn gym shoes.
"Can't afford to tear down"
The first thing we pass is a gray brick building that has seen better days. The roof is rotten in places.- We have many buildings like this that we would like to demolish or renovate, explains Nymick. But we can't afford it.
- It's not far enough, sighs the city manager before we continue our walk.
He points to an empty shop.
- Here was one of our two pharmacies. Today we have nothing.
He points to the other side of the street.
- There was a bakery and next to it a jewelery shop and next to it a cinema. Today, all are empty and the buildings are falling into disrepair. We are without all that service.
The size of school classes has been halved due to a lack of students. If and when the owners of the coal-fired power plant stop paying property taxes, the local schools risk being forced to fire teachers.
Biden earmarked
When the coal power plant was shut down in the summer of 2023, it came as a shock even though everyone knew that reductions had already taken place.- I never thought that I would experience in my lifetime that the power plant ceased to exist, says Ken Walker, who worked there for over 30 years. It felt unthinkable.
President Biden has been aware that the green transition would lead to lost jobs in states like Pennsylvania where the energy sector is heavy. Therefore, he made sure that Congress earmarked money to go to the communities that were affected.
The idea is that they should be used to create new, green jobs that are as well paid as those of coal workers.
- The money keeps going to the big cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia where there are many voters to attract, complains Tanya Weller, the city secretary.
Rob Nymick nods in agreement.
- It's like we don't count, even though we need the contributions more than anyone else.
Harris fans – on the sly
The problem is the same everywhere in the US. Coal power plants are shut down and replaced with fossil gas, wind or solar power. Between now and 2030, 173 coal-fired power plants in 33 states will draw their last breath.However, one of the former employees we meet refuses to believe that the age of coal is over.
- We still have lots of coal in the ground, says Herb McNulty. As long as we get better at capturing the harmful emissions, coal can meet a new spring. Wind power cannot completely replace coal.
But Ken Walker thinks it's actually pretty even between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in the electoral district.
- The difference is that many of the Harris supporters do not put up any signs. They don't want to openly take a stand.
Important wave master state
Pennsylvania is one of the so-called swing states where the presidential election will be decided. Traditionally, it is the Democrats who usually win the state which, together with Michigan and Wisconsin, is part of what is usually called the party's blue wall.- I definitely think that the energy issue can affect how people vote in Pennsylvania, says David Yancy. I think Trump is the one who benefits the most from that.
The opinion polls show that it is incredibly even here, just like in most of the other six wave master states. Right now, according to the site Real Clear Politics, which compares various polls, Trump has a lead of 0.6 percent. Completely within the margin of error.
"The emissions have killed everything"
Rob Nymick says maybe he doesn't pay as much attention to national politics as he should. Instead, he rolls out a giant map on the conference table. It depicts Homer City and surroundings. Old coal mines are dotted about as is the river that runs through the town, Yellow Creek. Nymick's dream is to make the water so clean that the fish thrive there again.
- Then we could attract leisure tourists to the town. As it is now, no life exists in the small river. The emissions from the coal have killed everything. But it can be repaired. The problem is that it costs money.
The city has already received grants, but according to Nymick, much more money is needed for his dream of Homer City as a fishing paradise to come true.
But maybe tourism can one day replace the coal jobs.
Aftonbladet's team on site: Photographer Jerker Ivarsson and reporter Wolfgang Hansson. Photo: Jerker Ivars
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