Coal forum set for Thursday

 CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Coal’s importance to West Virginia’s economy and the U.S. economy, as a whole, will be the focus of the West Virginia Coal Forum.

It is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Thursday at Embassy Suites Hotel in Charleston.

Numbers from the West Virginia Division of Commerce estimate coal exports grew from $5.3 billion in 2011 to $7.4 billion in 2012.  West Virginia coal accounted for 49 percent of U.S. coal exports last year.

Those will speak at the event include Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, state Division of Energy Director Jeff Herholdt, United Coal CEO Michael Zervos and Xcoal Energy & Resources CEO Ernie Thrasher.

More information is available at www.wvcoalforum.org.