LOGAN – The Friends of Coal would like to thank the Father George Kostas; Pastor Mitchell Bias; John Roberts, executive director of the Mountain Mission, Debrina Williams of the Logan Chamber of Commerce and everyone else involved in last night’s interfaith service to honor those who work in our nation’s coal mines.

Our coal mining family has suffered loss and faced uncertainty this past year. We have faced an almost constant assault by an administration that puts political agendas ahead of people. Our families have been subjected to months of worry and fear – fear for their jobs, fear that they might lose their homes and their way of life.

We want to thank Father Kostas, Rev. Bias and everyone who came to the service last night. Your words gave us comfort. Your support gave us hope and lifted our hearts during this Holy Season.

Dailymail.com

Certainly, its dependability is appreciated in Alberta clippers

With winter yet to begin, December found tens of millions of Americans struggling to cope with a record-breaking cold snap that affected huge areas of the nation.

In the Midwest, some motorists spent days trapped in pileups on snow-covered highways. In the South, some Floridians scrambled to save valuable crops like citrus fruits and strawberries, and others hastened to rescue hundreds of sea turtles reduced to a coma-like state by the cold. But most Americans had heat and light when they made it home after a long day. Those amenities go underappreciated until they go missing.

The West Virginia Coal Association hosted a meeting with newly-elected lawmakers prior to the 2011 regular session of the State Legislature.  The meeting drew several of the newly elected members, who discussed their goals and heard a short presentation about the importance of coal to the state’s economy.

The 2011 session of the Legislature begins at noon on January 12 and runs through mid-March. The Association has also scheduled a series of legislative forums sponsored by individual member companies (see calendar of events below).

The 2010 edition of Coal Facts 2010, both the traditional magazine format and a new tri-fold brochure, are now available.

The publication provides a summary of coal production and employment trends through the 2009 reporting year, as well as interesting features on coal history and methods of production, including an informative piece on surface mining, restoration and post-mine land use.

In addition, the publication provides a listing of environmental and safety award winning operations as well as profiles of our Coal Hall of Fame members.

If you would like a hard copy, give us a call at 304.342.4153 or e-mail:  sdavison@wvcoal.com

Coal expected to remain “dominant fuel” through 2035

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) this week released its Annual Energy Outlook 2011.  The agency expects coal will continue to be the “dominant fuel” used to generate electricity in the United States through 2035, according to new projections released Thursday by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) — the statistical arm of the Energy Department. Though EIA predicts that no new coal plants will be built between now and 2035 — with the exception of those that are under construction or are built as a result of incentives for low-emissions coal — coal will dominate the country’s energy portfolio. The reason? The United States will continue to rely on existing coal-fired power plants to produce its electricity.

Coal will continue to be the “dominant fuel” used to generate electricity in the United States through 2035, according to new projections released Thursday by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) — the statistical arm of the Energy Department.

Though EIA predicts that no new coal plants will be built between now and 2035 — with the exception of those that are under construction or are built as a result of incentives for low-emissions coal — coal will dominate the country’s energy portfolio. The reason? The United States will continue to rely on existing coal-fired power plants to produce its electricity.

The EIA expects total U.S. coal consumption to increase from 19.7 quadrillion Btu in 2009 to 25.2 quadrillion Btu in 2035.  Coal consumption for electricity generation increases gradually throughout the projected period from using existing plants more intensively and from the few new plants already under construction.