Friends of Coal was well-represented at the annual FOC Auto Fair in Beckley

The sign at the entrance pretty much said it all – “Welcome to the Friends of Coal Auto Fair” – held this past weekend at the YMCA Soccer Complex in Beckley.  The organization and the industry once again were the centerpiece of what has become a major summer event for southern West Virginia.  An estimated 100,000 people attended the event over the long-weekend, despite the almost constant threat of rain, culminating in performances by Southern Rock Legends, The Charlie Daniels Band and Beckley’s own Taylor Made.

 The Friends of Coal organization was everywhere during the event, with the Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary managing a big tent at the center of the fair, as well as a Friends of Coal communications outreach tent, andthe IHRA Championship “Friends of Coal” Funny Car and other outreach efforts.

Several members of the Friends of Coal group joined the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team to literally “drop-in” on the event, making tandem jumps Friday morning. All-in-all, it was an excellent event and continues to grow each year.

The Kanawha Valley Mining Institute’s 21st Hatfield Scramble will be held Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at the Brier Patch Golf Course in Beckley, WV.

Although the golfing slots are all filled, they will welcome hole sponsorships at $250 each, which goes directly to the KVMI Scholarships awarded each year.  You may register for Hole Sponsorship and corporate memberships at the web site:  http://www.kvmi.org/Registration.html

Time is of the essence as the reserved rooms and air travel arrangements must be committed in the next couple of weeks.  Please go to: www.nationaltravel.com for complete information.

From The Charleston Gazette

By: Sen. Truman Chafin

NOW, more than ever, we need coal! Tuesday, July 6, electricity demand in the East surged to levels near those in the summer of 2006. With temperatures soaring above 100 degrees in cities from New York to Washington, utilities and grid operators witnessed power output close to the 2006 records. Fortunately, the power grid has been up to the task, thus far.

An engineer at John Amos elaborated that the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland Interconnection, "PJM", is stressed to near breaking. PJM is near max capacity, and it has been said that the grid may hiccup in the following days due to the extreme heat. One result of this misfortune, would be to shed load and cut off big users, which would essentially cause layoffs to keep the grid from crashing.

The increased demand is straining the system as it is; yet, there is another component that is frequently scrutinized but essential for the grid survival, which is coal.

By: Rep. Shelley Moore Capito

Through the Environmental Protection Agency, Washington continues to push an anti-coal agenda. It amounts to an assault on an industry that employs more than 500,000 hardworking Americans and supplies nearly half of America’s electricity.

The EPA’s attempts to control climate change through regulation and stall the approval of mining permits can only lead to coal states like West Virginia bearing the brunt of poorly thought-out policies that translate into greater job loss and higher energy costs.

President Barack Obama is intent on passing legislation to cap greenhouse gas emissions. Should Congress fail to act, the EPA will exert its regulatory authority in an unprecedented manner that will have far-reaching effects on nearly every sector of the U.S. economy — from higher prices at the gas pump to skyrocketing utility bills.