25 PARTICIPANTS TO PRESENT FUTURE OF COAL PROPOSALS AT COMMITTEE'S BIPARTISAN COAL CONFERENCE

List includes industry, enviros, academia, government

March 8, 2005
12:00 AM
Washington, D.C. – The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee staff finalized 25 groups to present and discuss their proposed solutions to the challenge of developing and using coal in an environmentally-friendly manner to help meet the growing U.S. demand for electricity. This half-day bipartisan conference is scheduled for Thursday, March 10 at 2 p.m. in Dirksen 106. The committee announced the conference last month and invited the public to submit written proposals that address various aspects of the continued use of coal, including the environmental impact of various coal extraction, the financial and technical challenges associated with new clean coal combustion technologies, transportation and transmission constraints and concerns over emissions of sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, mercury and carbon dioxide. The committee received more than 50 proposals from the public, utilities, environmental organizations, universities, think tanks and state and federal agencies. Republican and Democrat policy staff reviewed the proposals and selected 25 groups to present 27 proposals for discussion at the conference. (Two of the groups will present more than one proposal.) The participants will each have two minutes to introduce their proposals and make their main points. The remaining time will be used to debate proposals and field questions. The public and media are invited to attend. The participants and the topics they will address are below. The list is subject to change in the event of cancellation. Representatives from some federal agencies not included as participants may be on hand to provide technical support and answer background questions. This list of participants, conference guidelines and the text of proposals to be discussed at the conference can be found on the committee website at: www.energy.senate.gov. Question 1: Coal Consumption: What are the likely future scenarios for the role of coal-fired generation in the U.S.? (2:00 pm - 2:40 pm) Participants: qConsol - Frank Burke qEdison Electric Institute - David Owens qEnergy Information Administration - Alan Beamon qNational Commission on Energy Policy - John Holdren qNational Mining Association - Jack Gerard qNatural Resources Defense Council - David Hawkins qState of Illinois - Jack Lavin Question 2: Environmental: What are the environmental and regulatory challenges associated with the future use of coal for power generation? (2:45 pm - 3:25 pm) Participants: qClean Energy Systems - Keith Pronske qColumbia University - Klaus Lackner qFlorida Municipal Electric Association - Bob Kappelmann qKennecott - Bret Clayton qInterstate Mining Compact Commission - Greg Conrad qNational Commission on Energy Policy - Hank Habicht qNatural Resources Defense Council - David Hawkins qWestern Organization of Resource Councils - Sara Kendall Question 3: Financial and Technological Improvements: What technological improvements in coal use are most important to pursue? What financial and/or regulatory mechanisms are necessary to bring these technological improvements to market? (3:40 pm - 4:20 pm) Participants: qCoal Based Generation Stakeholders Group - Fred Palmer qCoal Utilization Research Council - Ben Yamagata qElectric Power Research Institute - Stu Dalton qGeneral Electric Energy - Ed Lowe National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners - David Hadley qHarvard University - William Rosenburg Question 4: Transportation: What improvements in existing transportation or transmission infrastructure are needed to improve the use of coal for power generation? (4:25 pm - 5:05 pm) Participants: qAmerican Association of Railroads - Craig Rockey qConsumers United for Rail Equity - Robert Szabo qEdison Electric Institute - David Owens qMissouri River Energy Services - Tom Heller qNational Rural Electric Cooperative Association - David Mohre qTennessee Valley Authority - Glenn McCullough, Jr.