No one disputes the tremendous changes the energy industry is facing over the next few decades. The global demand for power continues to rise. At the same time many governments are putting pressure on industry to find cleaner and more renewable sources of energy than those we now depend on. This has left the coal industry, traditionally one of the oldest sources of electrical power, facing both crisis and opportunity at the same time. The crisis stems from those who see the burning of coal for electricity as a major culprit in pollution and climate change. The opportunity stems from the continued growing demand for electricity, with no end in sight.
Many in the coal mining industry understand that bridging the gap between the crisis and the opportunity is the key to coal’s continued role in energy production. Organizations such as the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute want to see their industry seize the possibilities for the future by facing the challenges head on. The Institute, also known as the RMCMI, is hosting its 105th Annual Convention with the theme “Into the Headwinds of Change.” The event will be held at Snowmass Village, Colorado June 28-30, 2009 and will feature inspiring speakers and in depth workshops for those committed to the future of coal mining.
Faced with negativity generated by governments and environmentalists alike, it helps to have the encouragement of someone who oversaw another group faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. That someone is Gene Kranz, Director of the Apollo 13 mission to the Moon. Kranz directed the group of engineers and flight technicians who helped the crippled Apollo 13 spacecraft and her 3 astronauts return safely to Earth. Kranz is perhaps most remembered for his oft-quoted line, “failure is not an option.” The same could be said of the need to develop clean coal retrieval and energy conversion technology.
Jim Bausell, the COO of Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, will address the convention. The members of the Touchstone alliance deliver power to over 17 million customers in 44 states each day. Jeane Hull, the President of the second largest coal producing company in the US, Powder River Coal, will also speak.
The Convention this year will specifically address some of the key topics for the coal industry. Workshops will be led on carbon sequestration, for example. Sequestration is the emerging technology for trapping CO2 emissions from power plants biologically, in specific types of rock formations, or under the ocean floor. Scandinavian countries such as Norway have invested heavily in this technology. Reforestation is considered a very basic form of carbon sequestering, since trees consume CO2 in the photosynthesis process.
More than 450 participants from 20 states are expected to participate in their year’s conference. For more information, the RMCMI invites you to visit the convention social network homepage at www.rmcmi.newswire.net