ST. LOUIS (AP) — A federal plan to limit carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants is stoking debate over how to create and keep jobs in coal-rich southern Illinois.

Democratic state Rep. John Bradley of Marion thinks the Obama administration’s draft regulations unveiled Monday to curb the pollutant blamed for climate change helps make the case for hydraulic fracturing.

The drilling method uses a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals to crack and hold open thick rock formations, releasing oil and gas.

Bradley believes fracking could produce jobs in his struggling region.

Lawmakers approved fracking last year, but it can’t begin until the Department of Natural Resources finishes rules to implement the practice.

The Illinois Sierra Club’s Jack Darin says the state should continue pursuing renewable energy such as wind and solar.

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