The Clean Air Council is holding a two-day conference titled, “The Future of Coal in Pennsylvania” April 23-24 at the Harrisburg Hilton.

The conference will feature a frank dialogue on the issues surrounding coal, including coal's role in the national energy portfolio and the environmental problems associated with coal use.

The conference's opening session, "A Realistic Assessment of the World Energy System," features speaker Jennifer Layke, of the World Resources Institute, who will give a presentation of energy sources in Pennsylvania, the United States, and the world, together with a projection of future energy needs, and an analysis of trends in the global energy economy.

He will answer questions like: What is the energy supply growth curve for wind and solar from various sources? And what is the status of regional and world fossil fuel reserves?

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty will serve as the keynote speaker at Tuesday's luncheon. Wednesday's luncheon features Eric Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Environmental Integrity Project.

Other panels include such topics as: Carbon Capture and Storage, The Future of Coal in Transportation and Other Non–Electricity Uses; State Action, Investment Perspectives on Coal and a Carbon-Constrained World; Other Social and Environmental Impacts of Coal; What is the State of the Art in Coal Combustion; and Political Realities and National Coal Policy.

The conference is hosted by Clean Air Council, and presented with the support of Environmental Defense, the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, PPL Corp., and the Department of Environmental Protection.

For more information, visit the “The Future of Coal in Pennsylvania” webpage or contact Michael Leone at 717-230-8806 or send email to: mleone@cleanair.org .

4/4/2008