ACC Members' Update

The American Coal Council (ACC) has submitted comments to the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management regarding changes being considered to the federal coal leasing program. Coal mined on federal coal lands accounts for about 40% of U.S. coal production and is a large part of the coal supplied to the power sector for electricity generation, so this is an important issue for our members.

ACC’s comments address our concerns about reforms of the federal coal program that would have detrimental economic consequences for coal producers, the coal supply chain, states and local communities, and the ultimate American consumer and taxpayer. We oppose any such reforms, including those that would limit access to coal reserves and delay the permitting process, and that would unnecessarily or inappropriately change environmental requirements.

ACC urges the Interior Department-Bureau of Land Management to fulfill their obligations under the Mineral Leasing Act to promote mining of coal and provide for the maximum economic recovery for coal mined on federal lands. At the very least, they should continue the current federal coal leasing program without any modifications.

ACC members and those involved in the coal industry are welcome to access these comments and ACC’s other regulatory filings via the Issues and Advocacy section of our website.

Earlier this year, the Board of Directors of the American Coal Council (ACC) undertook a review of the ACC’s Bylaws.  This was done with the assistance of our legal counsel Cara Lawrence of Tierney Lawrence LLC.  ACC’s Bylaws had not been updated or changed since 2011.  At the conclusion of the review, the Board voted on June 10, 2016 to approve an amended and restated version of the Bylaws. 

 

The primary changes incorporated into to the Amended and Restated Bylaws of American Coal Council as of June 10, 2016 are as follows:

1) Updated for changes in the Colorado statutes (ACC is incorporated in Colorado)

2) Modernized the notice and communication provisions

3) Clarified members’ voting rights and requirements

4) Revised Board member term limits from one term to two terms.

This provides Board members with the right (but not the obligation) to serve for two terms. A two-term limit is common among associations, as it provides for a balance of experienced and new Board members.  

 

The Amended and Restated Bylaws of American Coal Council were sent to primary designated representatives of American Coal Council member companies on June 27, 2016. Others may contact Betsy Monseu at ACC office at 202.756.4540 or by email at bmonseu@americancoalcouncil.org to receive a copy.

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanCoal

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-coal-council

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmericanCoal

Please be sure to follow @AmericanCoal. Tweet "shout outs" and links to @AmericanCoal, along with coal-related hashtags: #coal, #climate, #CCS, #CCT, etc.

Please be sure to like and share ACC’s page and posts with your company and personal accounts.

If your company has tech or social media savvy employees, or employees with graphic design capabilities who are willing to donate time to help prepare infographics, social media posts, write articles, etc., please let the ACC know – info@americancoalcouncil.org. 

Each year we publish a Membership Directory with contact information for each of our member companies.

As a benefit of membership, we make this Directory available for ACC members to download (in PDF format). Click here or on the graphic below to download the 2016 Membership Directory.

As the Membership Directory is a membership benefit, we ask that you please refrain from sharing this file with anyone outside of your own organization.

The ACC's 2015 Tomorrow's Leadership Council recently developed a "Coal Communications Kit" to help coal advocates educate, inform, build bridges, and counter misinformation about coal. This document provides ideas and information that coal industry employees and others can use to improve communications and relations with others in the public realm.

Whether you're on an airplane, at a business or community event, or seeking to inform relatives and firends, coal advocates now have useful facts and information to assist them in communicating the importance, value, and benefits of coal in U.S. energy production.

 

The Coal Communications Kit describes

1. Technological improvements in the coal industry

2. Airborne emissions and emissions reduction

3. Scalability of coal as an energy resource

4. Comparisons of coal vs. other fuels/energy resources

5. Coal’s role in grid reliability

6. Climate change

7. The costs of not using coal

8. Coal's role in international trade

9. Impacts of mining coal

10. Coal and resource depletion

11. EPA regulations

12. Pollution in China

The Coal Communication Kit provides ready responses to commonly held negative notions about coal. It offers convenient "elevator speeches", Facebook posts, and Tweets, as well as more detailed information and resources.

We’re confident coal advocates will find this information useful and easy to share. Be sure to check out the Coal Communications Kit, use it in your discussions with friends, the media, elected officials, and others. Then, please be sure to share the Coal Communications Kit on your social media accounts. Spread the information around so everyone can access it!

 

 

Click here to learn more about the benefits and opportunities associated with an annual ACC sponsorship.

The American Coal Council's (ACC) Communications Committee serves as a sounding board for the ACC staff and board of directors, providing feedback on strategies and tactics associated with ACC communications and marketing materials.

Would you like to be involved with guiding the industry’s communications and outreach? If you are interested in joining the ACC’s Communications Committee, please contact either Betsy Monseu at 202-756-4540 or info@americancoalcouncil.org.

Rather than the traditional definition of "CCS" – Carbon Capture and Storage – we’ve adapted it for the 2016 Coal Market Strategies program to broadly encompass change, challenge, and sustainability with regard to coal. The possibilities lie before us, from energy market recovery to a new administration in Washington DC. Our speakers will assess the state-of-the-state for coal, addressing marketplace, regulation, policy and technology issues.

 

Register at http://www.etouches.com/155262.

Mark your calendars for these upcoming 2016 ACC events:

 

 

Be sure to watch the events page on the ACC website for registration and event information for our conferences and monthly webcast programs

The presence of a politically influential and well-funded ovement to stop the use of fossil fuels entails that energy producers must work together to defend the use of asbundant, affordable, reliable energy.

Click here to read more.

Coal producers have reacted to the market dip with production cuts. And while it’s clear that a structural shift is underway in the U.S. power market, coal remains a cyclical commodity, which begs the question: Is an overcorrection at risk?

Click here to read the full article. 

The American Coal Council and Naylor Association Solutions have partnered together to provide the American coal industry with a wide variety of print, digital, and online advertising opportunities.

Be sure to check out our Media Guide & Rate Card with all the information that you need to advertise in any of our publications.

Remember that ACC Members receive a 10% discount on all advertising rates listed in our Media Guide.

Please contact Betsy Monseu, ACC CEO at 202-756-4540 / bmonseu@americancoalcouncil.org or Anthony Land, Project Leader at Naylor Association Solutions 352-333-3454 / aland@naylor.com with any advertising questions.