Coal as key energy source is focus of conference, Thursday-Friday, 12/11-12)

The vital role of coal as an industrial energy source, including advancements in clean-coal technology, will be the focus of a two-day conference, Thursday and Friday, Dec. 11-12, at The Calumet Conference Center of Purdue University Calumet.

Offered by Purdue University Calumet’s Energy Efficiency & Reliability Center in partnership with the Energy Center at Discovery Park, Purdue West Lafayette, and the Indiana Center for Coal Technology Research, the conference is intended for business and industrial leaders, as well as individuals with interests in the environment, transportation and electrical power.

“We want to raise awareness of coal as a viable energy source nationally and statewide, and especially so in northwest Indiana,” Energy Efficiency & Reliability Center Director Robert Kramer said.

Kramer also is among the scheduled conference speakers. He will discuss Coal Opportunities, Economic Strength and Environmental Protection at 8:45 a.m. Friday, (12/12).

The conference’s opening session, Thursday (12/11), focuses on the theme, Coal in the Big Picture, from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Scheduled topics are: Coal Gasification for Indiana, Edwardsport IGCC Update, Coal and the U.S. Economy, Steel Production and The Industrial Economy, and Gasification and The Industrial Economy.

Delivering the keynote address at 6 p.m., Thursday (12/11) is former Capitol Hill energy and environmental press secretary Frank Maisano. Now a media specialist and adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University’s Carey Business School, he plans to address Business, Energy and the Environment—What to Expect.

In addition to Kramer’s presentation, Friday’s (12/12) session, scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon, focuses on the following topics: Regional Stability and Economic Growth, Railroads & Coal Transportation Enhancements, Positioning for Indiana and the Northwest Region’s Future, Coal in the Midwest Economies, and Regional Development Coordination, CO2 Gas Pipelines.

Individuals can register for the conference at http://www.conf.purdue.edu/coal. Thursday afternoon and Friday morning sessions are free. There is a $40 charge to attend the Thursday evening reception, dinner and keynote address.

Other conference information is available at http://www.purdue.edu/dp/energy/events/CCTR_Meetings_Dec_2008/Agenda-12_11-12_08-CCTR.pdf.

News Release Date: December 9, 2008