The decision by American Electric Power Company to close three West Virginia power plants by 2014 will result in the loss of 242 jobs, according to sources at the utility. However the potential job loss due to these closures could number in the tens of thousands.

Using the estimated amount of coal that would have been burned at the closed power plants (16.8 million tons) calculate the tons of coal per mwh conversion from the Union of Concerned Scientists’ website as a base and dividing that by the amount of coal an average West Virginia coal miner produces each year (6,857 tons), then take the total amount of coal produced last year (144 million tons) and dividing it by the number of working coal miners in the state (21,000), the total job losses in the coal industry in West Virginia of approximately 1,575 mining jobs and 2,450 mining jobs regionally.

Using the economic multiplier of three derived from the WVU/MU Joint Study on the Economic Impact of Coal (2010) , and combining that with the 600 direct jobs lost expected at AEP (1,800 using a factor of three multiplier), we see a total potential job loss of 10,623 jobs regionally, with many of these coming in West Virginia as well.

In announcing the closure, AEP cited environmental regulations issued by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the cause of the impending closures.

PITTSBURGH, June 22nd, 2011 -- Lockheed Martin and Carroll Technologies Group have signed a distribution agreement for a new wireless, through-the-earth communications system designed specifically to help the mining industry improve post-accident emergency communications.

 

Under the agreement, Lockheed Martin will provide the technology and manufacturing of the MagneLink™ Magnetic Communication System (MCS), which delivers voice communication and texting to trapped miners during a disaster. Carroll Technologies Group, through its two operating subsidiaries – Carroll Engineering Co. and Delta Electric, Inc. – will act as the distributor, sales and service supplier of the system. “Lockheed Martin’s technology, paired with Carroll Technologies Group’s presence and experience in the mining industry, provides trapped miners the means to communicate with rescuers when no other form of contact is possible,” said Richard Holmberg, Lockheed Martin’s vice president who oversees the program. “It’s gratifying to apply our advanced communications and signal processing expertise in a new way to save lives.”

July 15-17th – Will maintain an informational booth at the Friends of Coal Auto Fair in Beckley.

July 21st– Friends of Coal will provide the keynote speaker for the Cabell County Schools’ West Virginia Coal Project to discuss the economic impact of coal on the West Virginia economy.

The Association joined with FACES, the Wheeling Chamber of Commerce and other local, northern panhandle chambers in a breakfast on Monday morning in Wheeling, featuring Congressman David McKinley.

Coach Nehlen and Chris Hamilton made a presentation Thursday evening to the North Central West Virginia Council of the Holmes Safety Association in Fairmont.

The Association will participate in Senator Rockefeller’s field hearing of the United States Senate Commerce Committee on Monday morning in Charleston.  The subject of the hearing is “Making it in America: Innovate Locally, Export Globally” and will be held in the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse.

Following Senator Rockefeller’s hearing, the Association has been asked to join the White House Business Council and the Charleston Area Alliance for a discussion “Winning the Future Roundtable with American Business “in Charleston.

Registration is now open for the 22nd Annual Hatfield Scramble Golf Outing, hosted by the Kanawha Valley Mining Institute. The scramble will be Tuesday, September 20, at the Brier Patch Golf Course in Beckley.

Monies collected from hole sponsorships support KVMI’s scholarship program!

For more information on the event, call 304.414.4500. Thanks for supporting coal and thanks for supporting KVMI.

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