Those interested in learning about the Biden administration’s Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization can do so during the upcoming American Coal Council “Coal Q&A” webinar. The American Coal Council’s Coal Q&A webinar series is a longstanding virtual educational forum for addressing important issues affecting the coal industry.

Scheduled for 2-3 p.m. EDT Thursday, July 1, NETL Director Brian Anderson will be the featured presenter. A longtime resident of West Virginia with extensive expertise in regional innovation and coal and energy technology development, Anderson also serves as the IWG executive director.

The webinar will touch on IWG members and what are they tasked with, identification of existing federal programs with funding available to invest in priority communities, the first IWG report, and upcoming IWG activities and work targets.

Issued in April, the IWG’s first report included identification of priority communities – areas/counties with high concentrations of coal sector jobs. Planning is underway for town halls in energy communities to listen to their concerns and identify federal resources to assist them.

“I’m pleased that the American Coal Council is providing this forum for the IWG and NETL to communicate to coal stakeholders about the impacts of objectives to decarbonize the U.S. economy. Ultimately, that is about empowering American workers and revitalizing communities just as much as it is a matter of addressing climate change. There’s no reason we can’t do both, and we owe that to the mining communities that have kept the lights on for generations,” Anderson said. “NETL has top-tier scientists, world-class facilities, a research portfolio across all 50 states and connections with industry and our nation’s universities to develop technologies that offer carbon dioxide emissions mitigation options to the market. However, because the challenges we face are too great for any one entity to tackle alone, this will only be possible by coming together.”

Those wishing to attend the Coal Q&A webinar are asked to register by clicking here. There is no charge for members of the American Coal Council, but pre-registration is required. Non-members may register for a fee of $50.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By leveraging its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.