- Details
To The “Charleston Gazette” Editor:
Phil Kabler’s weekend column, “Friends of Coal aren’t friends of miners,” is an affront to every miner, mine supervisor and mine operator, as well as the 50,000 West Virginians who show up at a mine site every day to contribute to the production, construction, preparation or transportation phases of mining. Its sweeping portrayal of the industry disregards the commitment, professionalism and personal responsibility demonstrated daily by the people who make West Virginia mining possible.
- Details
Industry leaders, state and federal officials convene at The Greenbrier to discuss coal’s future, policy priorities, and West Virginia’s energy leadership
Charleston, W.Va. —The West Virginia Coal Association celebrated a highly successful 2026 Annual Membership Meeting at The Greenbrier Aug. 6-7, bringing together coal producers, industry partners, public officials and policymakers for two days of discussion, collaboration and renewed optimism for the industry’s future.
- Details
CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Two priority reports presented this week to U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright by the National Coal Council will offer needed assistance to West Virginia Coal and provide the state with an energy blueprint for growth and development.
The reports Considerations for Maintaining and Growing the U.S. Coal Fleet and Opportunities to Expand U.S. Coal Export Options call upon the U.S. Department of Energy, the EPA, and Congress to continue the work of the National Energy Dominance Council by Improving the performance and value of coal-fired generation and expanding U.S. Coal Exports.
- Details
Nobody who has read the Charleston Gazette-Mail’s editorial page over the last quarter-century needs a weatherman to tell them which way its wind blows.
The Gazette-Mail has spent a generation editorializing against the men and women who mine West Virginia coal, against the companies that employ them, against the communities those paychecks keep alive. The hostility is the house style. So when the editorial board rushed into print with a gleeful little eulogy headlined "Coal takes another blow as solar surges," the only surprise was how badly the board fumbled its own case. It refuted itself inside its own column and apparently hoped nobody would read that far.
- Details
A Response to Julie McNamara and the Union of Concerned Scientists
By Chris Hamilton | President, West Virginia Coal Association
Julie McNamara of the Union of Concerned Scientists published a column this week arguing that coal-fired power is expensive and unreliable, and that the Trump administration is doing ratepayers a disservice by supporting it. The argument is wrong on both counts. It was wrong before the Department of Energy announced $850 million in new coal investment on June 4th — including two brand-new coal-fired power plants, one in West Virginia and one in Alaska, the first new American coal plants since 2013. It is wrong now. And it will remain wrong for as long as the American economy keeps moving in the direction it is moving: more energy-intensive, more technology-dependent, and far more unforgiving of the kind of intermittent, weather-dependent power that McNamara would have us bet our future on.
Two claims. Two chances to get it right. McNamara missed both.
Join Friends of Coal
Be part of West Virginia's coal industry future. Together, we can continue building a stronger, more prosperous Mountain State by supporting our miners and communities.
West Virginia Coal Association
The West Virginia Coal Association has been the voice of the coal industry for over 100 years, advocating for safe, responsible mining practices and supporting the communities that depend on coal.
Join the FOC
Become a Friend of Coal and download our app to stay connected and support the industry.
Recent Press
