According to information released by the West Virginia Division of Commerce in February, West Virginia coal exports grew by 40 percent last year, increasing from $5.3 billion in 2011 to $7.4 billion in 2012. West Virginia coal accounted for 49 percent of U.S. coal exports in 2012.
The West Virginia Coal Forum – an organization representing both labor and management in the coal industry – will host a meeting to discuss the significance of coal exports to our state and national economies at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 11 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Charleston.
A variety of state experts and policy leaders will speak at the event, to include:
- Governor Earl Ray Tomblin
- Ernie Thrasher, CEO of Xcoal Energy & Resources
- Jeff Herholdt, Director of the WV Division of Energy
- Michael Zervos, CEO, United Coal
- Bill Raney, President of the WV Coal Association
- Chris Hamilton, Vice-President of the WV Coal Association
- Fred Tucker, UMWA (retired), Co-Chair WV Coal Forum
Seating is limited and reservations are required. To make a reservation please email Joel L. Watts at joel.l.watts@wv.gov.
Stakeholders in West Virginia’s mining economy – industry leaders, mining personnel, association representatives, local legislators and policy leaders – are encouraged to attend.
For additional information, contact the West Virginia Coal Forum at (304) 957-2306, or visit the organization’s website at www.wvcoalforum.org.