By Glenn Kellow, CEO
Peabody
WASHINGTON, DC –– U.S. coal exports are booming; domestic generation is easing; global metallurgical coal demand is strong; American natural gas and renewables are tough competitors; new coal plants continue to be built in large numbers particularly in Asia; opponents call for divestment from fossil fuels; recent policies represent potential opportunity.
Just another year in the dynamic coal industry, you might say. Yet amid this mixed “elevator analysis” related to coal fundamentals, I would submit that we can make two statements with confidence.
First: Coal remains an essential part of our global energy mix and a key ingredient in steelmaking.
Second: The question is not “Should we use coal?”, but “How should we use coal?”… And the answer is: cleaner every day.
Glenn Kellow is President & CEO of Peabody, and serves as chairman of the World Coal Association and vice chairman of the International Energy Agency’s Coal Industry Advisory Board.
A Cup Half Full: Answering the Question “Why Coal and How Coal?”
