{"id":8041,"date":"2024-08-12T21:56:42","date_gmt":"2024-08-12T21:56:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/?p=8041"},"modified":"2024-08-12T21:56:49","modified_gmt":"2024-08-12T21:56:49","slug":"explaining-the-coal-hard-truth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/12\/explaining-the-coal-hard-truth\/","title":{"rendered":"Explaining the coal hard truth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CONSOL Energy\u2019s NotSoFast initiative, which highlights the crucial role coal plays in both the energy and non-energy needs of society, is a first-of-its kind program with global implications. \u2028NAM talks exclusively with the miner about the program, its efforts to date, and how the \u2028program is influencing the future of coal.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edited by Donna Schmidt<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"
CONSOL\u2019s flagship operation is the Pennsylvania Mining Complex (PAMC), which has the capacity to produce approximately \u202828.5 million tons of coal per year.<\/span><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Anyone whose life touches coal mining knows that telling its positive story, and how things in the industry are being done well, is an uphill battle. Polishing coal\u2019s reputation after years of negative public option, despite clean coal technologies, new ideas for coal\u2019s use well beyond the ordinary, and operators being significantly better neighbors, is still proving to be a winding path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A solution takes more than transparency, however; a mission backed by facts, ideas and dedication to the coal community and its users is vital. That\u2019s why CONSOL Energy has opted to get the facts out with its NotSoFast campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cThe so-called experts keep saying there is no place for coal because it is being replaced with renewable energy sources like wind and solar much faster than is realistic, and many people are led to believe coal has no place in our future. They are wrong, and we decided to develop the NotSoFast campaign to get the facts out,\u201d said program lead Erica Fisher of the program\u2019s development.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Another element of this brainchild? The miner\u2019s employees: \u201cThey take great pride in the work we do to provide a high-quality product while focusing on sustainability and innovation for the future. We also use more than half of the coal we produce for non-energy uses like brick, concrete and steel production.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About NotSoFast
<\/strong>There have been other programs that are similar to NotSoFast, Fisher said, but as she noted, it is the first of its kind to be 100% fact-based with the goal of starting conversations about the role of coal in the U.S. and the global energy future and all the non-energy uses for coal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe aren\u2019t shying away from the hard conversations. We welcome an \u2018all-of-the-above\u2019 approach to energy that includes coal, natural gas, solar, wind, and even nuclear. But we want people to realize there is a lot of misinformation regarding coal and many unintended consequences to rushing to renewables too quickly before the technology and infrastructure is ready for it,\u201d she said. \u201cAlso, people need to realize that coal will continue to contribute to people\u2019s standard of living for a long, long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is the perfect transition to defining just what NotSoFast is and what it means to the industry and the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NotSoFast has two meanings, she pointed out: \u201cFirst, it means replacing the baseload capability of coal and natural gas to provide for our energy needs is not going to happen as quickly as many people are saying. While solar and wind are increasing, the technology and infrastructure to actually get energy generated by them to the end user have a long way to go. We\u2019ve seen areas of the country that rely too heavily on renewables run into problems and need coal to provide energy to make up the shortfall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe second meaning is that when you hear people say coal will be out of the energy mix and basically a non-entity in the next decade or two, we say not so fast with that line of thinking,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, did you know: more than half the coal CONSOL Energy produces is exported for energy and industrial uses? \u201cThe demand for coal globally isn\u2019t going away anytime soon,\u201d Fisher pointed out. She added that the miner has diversified, so the majority of the coal it produces isn\u2019t used for energy production. \u201cWe are working on many innovative, new uses for coal that will keep us around for many years to come,\u201d she pointed out, and seeing that coal plays such a large role in U.S. energy security and energy independence, there is a moral case for coal globally where it makes up 35% of energy production worldwide, meeting the energy needs for billions of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All this as 775 million people in the world still do not have access to electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The primary elements of the NotSofast initiative is the website, thecoalhardtruth.com, that offers all the information needed for people to learn about the impact coal has, and with cited informational sources. That is paired with the promotion of the campaign through an aggressive program including traditional paid advertising, digital ads, social media, and media relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are even running TV spots on FOX News, and have been interviewed by media and podcasters in the U.S. and globally to get the word out about the NotSoFast campaign. We also hope to get information out to elected officials so they\u2019re armed with the facts and can make their own informed decisions,\u201d Fisher said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CONSOL\u2019s position as the backer of this important program is ideal, she added, because \u2013 as it holds a top position in the coal industry \u2013 it is simply the right thing to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe feel like our industry has been under attack for a long time, and we feel like it\u2019s time to fight back with facts and information so people have a better understanding of the importance of coal and what a world without coal really looks like. We have heard from many others in the industry who have thanked us for taking this leadership role.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"
Underground at the PAMC.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Coal\u2019s sustainability<\/strong>
Fisher points out that sustainability \u2013 which has been at the forefront of many mining types, but especially in coal \u2013 and the uses for coal and its byproducts are crucial facets of the discussion as it relates to the commodity as it forges ahead, and it is a factor taken very seriously at CONSOL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn 2022 alone, our environmental expenditures totaled about $66 million, and our compliance record has exceeded 99.9% for 10 consecutive years. The coal industry overall has done a lot too. Over the past 20 years, emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from coal-fueled power-generating stations in the United States has decreased by nearly 80%,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of new uses, it has been working diligently on innovation for years. Among the most exciting new developments is through subsidiary Touchstone Advanced Composites, where it produces CFOAM, a high-performance carbon foam made entirely from coal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis material is crucial in constructing aerospace tools used to manufacture parts for cutting-edge projects, such as NASA\u2019s Quesst mission, which aims to develop a low-boom supersonic jet. We are also working on materials made from coal to be used in building products like composite decking and are even working on batteries to meet the growing needs of electrical vehicles using graphite, which comes from coal,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"
CFOAM is one of the technologies within CONSOL Innovations, which is working to develop alternative uses for coal and\u2028its byproducts.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Why now, and defining progress<\/strong>
\u201cWe started the program almost a year ago and feel this is the time to fight back and to push for fact-based discussions, and not just emotional ones. This will allow people to understand the facts about the need for coal today but also for tomorrow,\u201d Fisher said of the timing of the program. It has, to date, received positive feedback from inside and outside the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What evolutions are ahead, and what will progress look like? CONSOL has a keen eye being watchful of this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think we just need to keep pushing to ensure more people are seeing the messages coming from the campaign, and we intend to do just that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a lot of metrics showing our strategies and tactics to get the word out about the NotSoFast campaign are working. Anecdotally, we are hearing from our employees as well as others in the industry about how proud they are to see this program to educate people about how important coal is in everyone\u2019s daily life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the feedback on NotSoFast, she said, has been an interest from the general public that is sometimes mixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course we are hearing some negative comments that are emotionally charged, and that\u2019s okay. The majority of feedback we receive from the public is positive, though. If everyone just stops to think about what it takes to turn the lights on and provide heating and cooling (and other things we sometimes take for granted) when you flick a switch, and the huge role coal plays in that, then we\u2019ve done our job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlso, it\u2019s so important for people to understand coal is used for so much more than producing energy,\u201d she continued. \u201cIt plays a large role in the clean water we drink, the food we eat, and is actually used more and more to make the steel in wind turbines and the infrastructure build-out needed to make renewable energy work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking at coal\u2019s future, it is programs like NotSoFast that will help to tell that needed positive story. The story the entire industry has been trying to tell for some time \u2013 and it now has a bullhorn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCoal has been under siege for a long time now, and there is so much misinformation out there. We feel one of the main goals of the NotSoFast campaign is to correct some of this misinformation and give people a holistic view of how important coal is to each and every one of us,\u201d Fisher said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Inside look: CONSOL Energy<\/strong>
CONSOL\u2019s flagship operation is the Pennsylvania Mining Complex (PAMC) which has the capacity to produce approximately 28.5 million tons of coal per year. It is composed of three large-scale underground mines (Bailey, Enlow Fork and Harvey) and the largest coal preparation facility in the United States, the Bailey Central Preparation Plant. Additionally, the Itmann Mining Complex, located in Wyoming County, W.Va., has the capacity to produce approximately 900,000 tons of premium coking coal per year, serving the steel markets both domestically and abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CONSOL Marine Terminal (CMT), owned and operated by CONSOL, is located in the port of Baltimore, Md. With a throughput capacity of approximately 20 million tons per year, CMT provides strategic access to the export markets. CONSOL employs over 2,000 employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the approximately 584 million reserve tons associated with the PAMC and the approximately 28 million reserve tons associated with the Itmann Mining Complex,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CONSOL controls approximately 1.3 billion tons of greenfield thermal and metallurgical coal reserves and resources in the major coal-producing basins of the eastern United States.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CONSOL Energy\u2019s NotSoFast initiative, which highlights the crucial role coal plays in both the energy and non-energy needs of society, is a first-of-its kind program with global implications. \u2028NAM talks exclusively with the miner about the program, its efforts to date, and how the \u2028program is influencing the future of coal. Edited by Donna Schmidt Anyone whose life touches coal…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":8047,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[3131,350,3129,1819,3130],"coauthors":[1632],"class_list":["post-8041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-coal-fueled-power-generating-stations","tag-consol-energy","tag-notsofast","tag-renewable-energy-sources","tag-thecoalhardtruth-com"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Underground_mining2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8041"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8041\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8050,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8041\/revisions\/8050"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8041"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=8041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}