Coal in Transition: What the Industry's Decline Means for Coal Communities

Speakers

• Ben Storrow (Moderator) Reporter, E&E News
• Joe Aldina (Speaker) Director, Global Coal Market Research, S&P Global Platts
• Robert Godby (Speaker) Associate Professor, College of Business Department of Economics and Finance, and Director, Energy Economics & Public Policies Center, University of Wyoming
• Erin Overturf (Speaker) Deputy Director, Clean Energy Program, Western Resource Advocates
• Suzanne Tegen (Speaker) Assistant Director, Center for New Energy Economy, Colorado State University

Description

President Trump ran on a pledge to revive the coal industry, but the decline has only accelerated. 2018 was one of the biggest years for coal plant retirements in U.S. history. Three major mining firms are in bankruptcy. In Wyoming and West Virginia, hundreds of workers were left suddenly without jobs when their company filed for bankruptcy protection. Panelists will explore the reason for the industry's decline and what it means for coal communities. How much longer can coal continue to underpin the economy in places like western Colorado, Wyoming and West Virginia? Can renewable jobs replace coal jobs? What role can states and the federal government play in aiding the transition?