2025 Miami Coal Forum
February 11-13, 2025 | Miami, Florida | The Diplomat Beach Resort
2025 Miami Coal Forum
February 11-13, 2025 | Miami, Florida | The Diplomat Beach Resort
Emily Arthun, Chief Executive Officer, American Coal Council
A representative from the US Department of Energy (i) will discuss how the new administration will acknowledge coal in the overall energy mix including priorities to address reliability, use of domestic resources, and jobs.
Session Chair: Emily Arthun, Chief Executive Officer, American Coal Council
Keynote Speaker: Michael D. Day, Chief Executive Office, Eagle Specialty Materials LLC.
Now more than ever, regulations affecting how coal is produced, sold, transported and used are evolving rapidly. The implications of these actions will determine the economic prospects for the global coal industry. What may appear to be positive news oftentimes has other unseen effects.
For coal producers in the US, changes in regulations are seen as a net positive in terms of permitting and operating coal mines as well as using coal for its thermal or metallurgical properties. However, less regulation for other fossil fuels might offset some of the gains for coal. This detailed session will look at what is proposed and what it means for the future of coal.
Session Chair: Lorali Simon, VP External Affairs, Usibelli Coal Mine
Speakers:
Michelle Bloodworth, President and Chief Executive Officer, America’s Power
Richard M. Russell, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs and Political Affairs,
National Mining Association.
Adam D. Anderson, Chief Executive Office & General Manager, Western Fuels.
The changing regulatory environment will have a significant impact on coal-powered electricity generation – at least for the next four years. Combined with increasing demand for electric power, it now appears that the existing coal fleet will become increasingly critical in meeting growing demand.
This session will present an overview of the near-term forecast for both domestic and international thermal coal as well as an evaluation of competing sources of power generation, especially natural gas.
Session Chair: Dianna Ridgway, Research and Analysis Associate Director, McCloskey by OPIS
Speaker: TBC
Evolving international conflicts, inflationary pressures and international immigration policies are all affecting international coal trade either directly or on the margins. Sorting through all the impacts creates numerous scenarios which could force companies to make rapid strategic changes to adopt. Will this be a net positive or negative for coal trade?
Session Chair: William (Bill) McFadden, Owner, Deep Creek Resources LLC
Keynote Speaker: Ernie Thrasher, founder, CEO and chief marketing officer of Xcoal Energy and Resources
This critical session features an outlook for supply and demand for global metallurgical coal with an emphasis on transforming geopolitics, especially given the change in administration in the United States. Increasing protectionism as well as diverging plans for environmental regulation are creating conflicting goals that confuse and increase risk for metallurgical coal market participants – what does the future hold?
Session Chair: Ranjana von Wendland, Associate Director, Met Coal & Met Coke, McCloskey by OPIS
Speakers: Matt Latimore Founder & President, M Resources
Politics has always played an influential role on the US coal markets but this year brings about one of the most significant changes for US coal since Ronald Reagan took office in 1981. The Trump Administration looks to reverse years of adverse policy making from a coal perspective but challenges remain and will it be enough to meaningfully change the trajectory for thermal coal.
Session Chair: Emily Arthun, Chief Executive Officer, American Coal Council
Speakers: TBA
The future of the coal industry will be driven by innovation, whether technology for power generation, advanced steel production, and new products using coal as a feedstock. Ramaco has been an innovator with aggressive research and development of critical materials from coal including advanced carbon products and rare earth elements needed for the next generation of computing. Coal is a valuable resource and
its future is more than creating kilowatts.
Session Chair: Kelli Sweet, Director – Coal, Union Pacific Railroad
Lori Read, Co-founded Pinnacle Genie
Max Ukropina, Project Development, Valar Atomics
Peter Balash – NETL
What innovations in technology and artificial intelligence might be just around the corner; how could the coal industry benefit in the short, medium and long term? Research is ongoing at the National Energy Technology Laboratories and the private sector. This session looks to explore some of the areas of research for using coal to solve some of the more vexing problems and perhaps what it means for the future
market for coal.
Session Chair: Andrew Blumenfeld, Data Analytics Director, McCloskey by OPIS
Speakers: TBA
Andrew Blumenfeld, Data Analytics Director, McCloskey by OPIS
Summary of some of the leading topics from the sessions as well as broader thoughts on the coal markets; critiques, complements and additional concepts will be referenced to consider.