• Coal Market Strategies - Napa Valley, Calif. (Aug. 20-22)
• Coal Leadership Advancement Seminar Series (CLASS) - Wrap Up
• American Coal magazine - Print and Online
• CLASS Presentations - Watch for Them Next Week
• 2012 TLC Program update
• Coal Q&A webcast - Updates
• Get Your Ideas Published!
• 2012 Advertising Opportunities

• Women's Mining Coalition 2012 Fly-In Event - Wrap Up
• Mine the Vote
• Coalblog Posts: Policy updates on the coal industry
• Genscape Weekly Coal Burn

• Bounce Back Higher -Managing Difficult People - Four Quick Tips
• The Un-Comfort Zone #44 - The Victory of Vulnerability

• Coalblog, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and LinkedIn updates

• ACC Events

Aug. 20-22, 2012
The Meritage Resort & Spa
Napa Valley, Calif.

To some, the phrase "Beyond Coal" symbolizes an effort to eliminate the use of coal as a fuel and generation resource. To others, it heralds the replacement of coal by natural gas, nuclear power and renewable energy. To others, the phrase denotes a marketplace shift with a future for coal centered on new markets both domestic and global.

This year's Coal Market Strategies Conference channels the spirit of Buzz Lightyear's "to infinity and beyond." We take "beyond" to imply a future for the U.S. coal industry that diverges from the historical to new frontiers and new horizons.

We pose strategic questions:

• What is the future for U.S. coal?
• How can U.S. producers capitalize on international coal demand?
• Will environmental regulations and competitive fuels drive coal out of U.S. generation and industrial markets?
• How is the U.S. energy sector responding to environmental challenges?
• Will new technologies save the day?

While we acknowledge the challenges the industry faces in today's regulatory and marketplace environment, we assume the perspective of Einstein who said "once we accept our limits, we go beyond them."

We contend the industry is capable of going beyond apparent limits.

We boldly affirm the resiliency and ability of the coal industry to go beyond.

Naysayers are welcome. We ask only that you come with an open mind.

The first Coal Leadership Advancement Seminar Series (CLASS) program was a success! Thank you to everyone who joined us on June 26-28 at the The Magnolia Hotel in downtown Denver, Colo.

CLASS attendees enjoyed a diverse slate of presentations from industry experts who provided in-depth instruction on the current state of our industry, as well as what we can expect in the future.

CLASS attendees came away from the program with a very real sense of the challenges facing our industry. An on-the-ground tour of Xcel's Cherokee Plant hit home the reality that new regulations are the primary reason that up to 70GW of our nation's coal-fueled fleet is being shuttered. While Xcel showed how they remain committed to providing affordable and reliable coal-fueled energy, they also demonstrated how Colorado's "Clean Air-Clean Jobs" legislation forced the closure of two coal-fueled units and the conversion of a third unit to natural gas at the Cherokee plant. CLASS attendees also learned how the EPA's war on coal - in the form of proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations - is making it essentially impossible to replace retiring coal units with new, more efficient coal technologies.

Attendees were presented with the fact that coal is being assaulted on multiple fronts - air, water, mines and coal ash. We also learned of the massive direct infusions of tax dollars, as well as many other forms of subsidies, for renewable energy to prop up the notion that they are price competitive with coal.

As the war on coal continues, we also were shown unnerving forecasts of electrical shortages around the country and increased electricity prices. As millions of people in Eastern states endure prolonged blackouts, intense heat and mounting death tolls, we begin to get the earliest glimpses of what life with limited access to expensive electricity would be like.

CLASS participants also heard how many Internet behemoths - Google, Facebook and Apple - are choosing to locate their new data centers in areas that rely heavily on the low cost and reliability of coal-fueled electricity. Their growing energy demand make their choices seem obvious. We questioned what impacts the war on coal would have for our national reliance on the Internet and web technologies.

Speakers described various other topics, including:

• An introduction to energy and commodities trading
• Discussions on how fuel flexibility strategies can maintain our existing coal fleet at peak performance
• The potential for enhanced oil recovery to turn CO² into a valuable commodity, as opposed to a perceived pollutant
• The possible expansion of west coast port capacity
• The reality that it isn't just coal that the extreme green industry is targeting, as they have now taken up the same type of "anti" campaigns against natural gas

Looking to a more positive side, CLASS attendees were able to see the bright potential of increased exports of U.S. coal. Several speakers discussed the "global supercycle" that the coal industry is enjoying, with predictions of substantial growth in demand for coal worldwide. One speaker humorously suggested that "everybody in the world wants American coal, except for America." While it is true that the world is increasingly interested in taking part in the natural bounty and reliability of America's coal resource, other speakers questioned whether November's election might change the notion that the U.S. doesn't want to use its own coal.

We rounded out the meeting with a direct challenge from ACC Communications Director, Jason Hayes. He urged CLASS attendees to take an active role in defending ourselves and our industry. He noted that misinformation on coal is rampant and much of the media unquestioningly accepts the lies and myths perpetrated by the extreme green industry and the EPA. Attendees discussed how their lives and jobs were being threatened and heard how they needed to get involved in spreading balanced and factual information to those with open minds and a reasonable outlook.

In her closing thoughts, ACC CEO, Janet Gellici quoted James R. Schlesinger who noted that in terms of our national approach to energy, "We have only two modes - complacency and panic." As we rush headlong into massive price increases, systemwide instability, declining capacity and increased reliance on expensive, unreliable and potentially volatile energy resources, "panic" appears very near on our energy horizon. It's up to the coal industry to restore some sanity to the mix as we push to bring back our national reliance on affordable, reliable, secure, increasingly clean, domestic energy resources.

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The ACC's Coal Leadership Advancement Seminar Series (CLASS) is an educational initiative designed to fill the educational gap between new hires and senior executives. CLASS is a program for mid-career coal industry executives, addressing their interest in:

• Advancing professional career objectives
• Building and enhancing long-term relationships with industry colleagues
• Obtaining timely, in-depth and analytical industry knowledge and resources
• Learning about the operations of and inter-relationship between various sectors of the coal industry - coal supply, coal consumption and coal transportation

The annual seminar brings together coal suppliers and marketers, utility and industrial coal consumers, rail/barge/port transportation management and coal support service providers. It provides a series of in-depth training seminar sessions on technical, legal, financial and business administration subjects, as well as timely updates on critical marketplace and public policy issues.

Watch accevents.org for information on next year's CLASS program.

Have you received your copy yet?

Have you seen the latest edition of American Coal? We welcome you to join us as we celebrate 30 years of advancing the power, the promise and the pride of America's coal industry. We're proud to continue with our new look - upgraded cover, and design elements/themes - and we have also added more information on ACC events and committees.

We strive to fill every issue of American Coal with the latest information on energy, policy, education and the environment. So we welcome you to download a copy of this issue and read about:

• The role of the ACC in advocating for coal, acting as a primary information resource for the industry and for bringing together the various sectors of this great industry. As we like to say, we represent the coal industry from the hole in the ground to the plug in the wall. This issue provides you with a bit of background on our activities
• How greed is impacting the increasingly corporate green industry
• The growth of cooperative industry/conservation partnerships and the move to push beyond just meeting regulatory requirements in managing our natural environment
• The important role of our nation's mining and engineering schools in preparing the next generation of professionals, managers and executives
• International coal markets, development, gasification opportunities and exports
• The growing U.S. coal export market
• Onsite analysis for mining operations
• Understanding the difference between public affairs and public relations
• ... and much more

We would love to hear your comments and (constructive) critiques on this issue. Please don't hesistate to contact us by e-mail or phone 202-756-4540 with your comments, or if you are interested in receiving a print copy of the magazine.

Please note: The Membership Directory is no longer distributed with the magazine. We are now printing the directory as a separate document and distributing it to ACC members. Please consider membership in the ACC if you are interested in receiving a copy.

Go to www.americancoalonline.com for this issue's articles!

Coal Leadership Advancement Seminar Series (CLASS) 2012 attendees should receive an email by early next week. The email will contain detailed instructions on how to download .pdf versions of the conference presentations.

If you attended CLASS 2012 and have not heard from us or are unable to download the presentations, please contact Ingrid Abrom (via email or phone 202-756-4540)

The Tomorrow's Leadership Council held their mid-year meeting in Chicago in early June. The group made substantial progress on the annual project and the planned presentation for the Coal Market Strategies Conference in Napa Valley, Aug. 20-22. We reviewed the three major sections of the project:

1. The Benefits of Electrification: How do we as a society benefit by having reliable access to affordable electricity?
2. Myths vs. Facts: Much of what you see in the media relating to coal-fueled energy is an outright falsehood. This document will help to clear up some of the misunderstandings and misrepresentations you have heard about coal
3. Next Steps: How can the coal industry move forward in the future, providing balanced and factual information to the public, media and elected officials?

TLC members - You can access the work completed to date on the ACC ftp site. Please let Jason Hayes know if you are having any issues with accessing these documents. I have also sent out an updated schedule for the project. Please make sure that you are working with your group, your mentor and Jason Hayes.

On behalf of the group, I wanted to thank Shaun Frawley and SGS for hosting the meeting. Their hospitality and generosity were greatly appreciated!

We welcome ACC members or potential members to contact us about your enrollment in the TLC group (email or call Jason Hayes at 202-756-4540) If you have new or up-and-coming executive talent that could benefit from professional development seminars, networking opportunities, industry-specific training and project development opportunities, please contact us today.

The ACC's Tomorrow's Leadership Council (TLC) is designed to advance and vest executive talent in the coal industry. TLC provides a meaningful opportunity for up-and-coming executives to enhance their industry knowledge and networks through projects and activities that advance industry-wide objectives as well as professional development goals. The program, which launched in 2009, has "graduated" over 50 executives in three years.

Watch accevents.org for information on upcoming Coal Q&A webcasts.

Optimizing Catalyst Performance to Lower Operational & Management Costs - Santee Cooper Case Study
July 10 - 2:30 to 3:30pm

Volker Rummenhohl, Vice President, Catalyst Technologies Fuel Tech
Catalyst costs can be more than $2 million per layer - optimizing catalyst life and lowering operational and maintenance costs is necessary in today's competitive market

ACC Members can access past Coal Q&A and Coal: CSI webcasts via the Members section of the ACC website.

• May - Coal Q&A: State Impacts of EPA's Regulatory Train Wreck - Todd Wynn, American Legislative Exchange Council
• April - Coal Q&A: Coal Mine Safety Innovations and Regulatory Compliance Update - Presented by Bruce Watzman, National Mining Association

If you are interested in publishing an article in American Coal - whether you're editorializing on an issue, preparing a case study or describing a challenge the industry is facing - we would love to hear from you. Please call Jason Hayes (202-756-4540) or email us with your article ideas.

We're always looking for ways to give you a better and more enjoyable product. Don't hesitate to let us know what you think, send us a letter to the editor, send us an email or give us a call at 202-756-4540.

You could be the next featured author in American Coal fall 2012 issue.

Don't forget! You can access all of the content from the latest edition of American Coal in a digital format online at www.americancoalonline.com

Maximize your ad campaign investment!

Getting accurate and up-to-date information on your company, your products and your services in front of potential customers is essential.

There's no better way to do this than in ACC print and online publications like:

• American Coal (print & online)
• The ACC website
• Our monthly newsletters
• The ACC annual calendar
• Membership Directory and Buyers' Guide (print & online)

Our Media Planner - with full information on ad locations, sizes and pricing - is available for download from the ACC website.

We are also happy to answer any other questions that you might have. Please contact Jason Hayes, ACC Communications Director at 602-769-3872 or jhayes@americancoalcouncil.org.

Fifty members of the Women's Mining Coalition (WMC) participated in the 20th Annual Fly-In to Washington, D.C. May 6-11, 2012. Participants completed 179 individual meetings with both Senate and House staff over 3 and a half days. WMC issue papers and informative materials were dropped off to an additional 48 Congressional offices, bringing the total number of offices visited to 227. This phenomenal effort was put forth by WMC members, all of whom work in the mining industry, including hardrock, coal, manufacturing, vendors and coal-fired power plants.

This year, WMC issues included:

• CERCLA 108(b) financial assurance rulemaking
• EPA greenhouse gas new source performance standards, and utility MACT (maximum achievable control technology)
• Critical Minerals Policy Act (S.1113)
• National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act (H.R. 4402)
• Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Infrastructure Protection Act (H.R. 3409)
• Additional topics of discussion included permitting delays and sage grouse management. Issues and topics were well-received and generated much valuable discussion between WMC members and members of Congress and staff

Click on the image to view the full size photo

The founders of the WMC, Kathy Benedetto, Debra Struhsacker and Ruth Carraher, were recognized and honored at a reception sponsored by American Coalition for Clean Coal Energy, Northwest Mining Association and ADA Environmental Services. 2012 marks the 20^th year that members of WMC have traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for a healthy domestic mining industry.

For more information on and photos from the 2012 Fly-In, or to join WMC, please visit www.wmc-usa.org

It is absolutely essential that members of the mining industry are informed and involved in the upcoming election. We know we hear this statement all the time, but it is true that this may be the most important election ever for those in the mining and coal industries.

Be sure to check out the Mine the Vote website (www.minethevote.com) for mining and energy-related election information.

Coal remains in the sights of the EPA and the extreme green industry. As perverse as it may sound, many of the extreme green element are feeling emboldened and excited at the news of layoffs and closures associated with their anti-coal campaigns. It is, therefore, essential that members of our industry are checking the Coalblog for regular updates and editorial from the ACC, as well as coal and energy sector companies. We must stay educated and ready for their next attacks.

Here are links to just a few of the issues that we have covered since the last issue of American Coal Advisory. There are a great deal more stories on the Coalblog - be sure to check them out.

• Jackson is either delusional or she's a liar
• Windfarms wrecked by wind
• EPA to tighten PM 2.5 standard
• "Crucify them"-ex-EPA official now working for Sierra Club
• EPA Asst. Admin admits EPA regs impact coal's competitiveness
• Another DOE green loan recipient files for bankruptcy
• UK coal burn at highest in six years

Please contact Jason Hayes if your company has an interesting editorial, story,news release, or case study to feature in the ACC newsletters and on the Coalblog. We'd love to hear from you.

ACC has partnered with Genscape to bring our members and readers regular updates on the amount of coal being consumed in the U.S. Click on the graph below to see the weekly updates on coal use.

 

ACC members can click here to read award-winning author and media veteran, Colleen Kettenhofen's latest monthly leadership management column. This month Colleen gives us four quick tips to help deal with those difficult people who always show up in our offices.

In this latest edition of The Un-Comfort Zone, Robert Wilson describes how a leader can motivate or decimate their followers without saying a word. ACC members can click this link to finish reading this article. Click here to read archived editions of the Un-Comfort Zone.

Don't forget to check our websites and social media sites for the latest information on the coal industry, events, news and policy changes.

We're active on the Coalblog, Facebook and Twitter. Our magazine is also available online at americancoalonline.com.

We've also just added an ACC LinkedIn and Flickr page. Be sure to stop by and "subscribe," "friend," or "follow" us.

We also host monthly webcasts designed to provide a forum for the discussion of critical issues affecting the U.S. coal industry.

Please be sure to check out the ACC Events Website for registration and event information for our conferences and our regularly scheduled webcasts.