Exporting our energy

West Virginia’s coal industry is being kept afloat by the demand for coal overseas. West Virginia Coal Association President Bill Raney says the industry has not bounced back from the recession.

“The demand is simply not there for electricity as everybody had predicted it to be,” explains Raney.

He’s taking part in this week’s West Virginia Mining Symposium at the Charleston Civic Center. Hundreds of those in the industry from coal company executives to the head of MSHA, coal miners and union representatives are taking part in the event.

Raney says the entire industry is feeling the pain of a lack of coal demand here in the U.S. But the one bright spot is the overseas markets, like China, Japan and Europe, clamoring for coal.

In fact in 2012, 115-million tons of coal was mined in the U.S. Fifty-percent of that went out of the country.

Raney says what this country needs is for the economy to come alive, giving the coal industry more customers right here at home.

“Century Aluminum, I’d like to see that come back on line. The big industrial users, that’s what we need,” according to Raney.

But he says as long as the Obama administration continues its war on coal, things won’t get better. He says the U.S. already has some of the strictest coal emission standards in the world. But some still want to see an end to the industry.

“We don’t need to diminish anything that we’re doing but we don’t need to further punish our people here in America.”

This marks the 40th year for the West Virginia Mining Symposium which runs through Friday.