MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The infectious energy the Democratic candidate for West Virginia's open Senate seat, Natalie Tennant, brings to her campaign is mired in the politics of coal, where state Republicans characterize the presidency of Barack Obama as singularly responsible for Appalachia's declining coal fields and the nation's shifting energy portfolio. It's in this arena where Tennant faces an almost impossible uphill climb toward the Nov. 4 election. Ideas about expanding economic growth outside the coal business are overwhelmed by the deluge of debate about which candidate supports coal miners the most. The state has bled jobs in its southern coal-producing counties.

With memories of rotating power outages still fresh in parts of Texas, the state's main grid operator is seeking to temper the effects of a generator's plan to send electricity to Mexico.