ABINGDON, Va. – A local coal executive will serve on the Virginia Commission on Climate Change, the governor’s office announced last week.
Michael J. Quillen, CEO of Alpha Natural Resources, says while his company will continue to be a coal company for many years, it is also interested in the development of other energy sources.
"I assume I will be looked at as somewhat of a carbon-based industry participant, but I’ve got an open mind," Quillen said. "We’re studying everything we possibly can here at Alpha."
He said the company is researching biomass fuels, carbon sequestration, carbon-based fuel cells and wind power.
"It’s certainly not out of the realm of our expertise or our interest if it’s good for shareholders," Quillen said.
He said one possibility under consideration is growing plants like switchgrass, to produce ethanol fuel, on land where mining has been completed.
"We’ve got some real issues with the amount of corn that’s going into ethanol and what it’s doing to the price of food," Quillen said.
He said while he has an interest in alternative energy sources, coal produces more than half the nation’s energy – and in the coming decades the United States will continue to rely on coal, nuclear power and natural gas for its energy needs.
He also said coal contributes about 30 percent of the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions.
"Virginia is growing right now in energy usage faster than our population is, so basically, what that means is on a per capita basis, we’re continuing to use more energy each year on an individual basis," he said.
"Conservation is the most immediate impact we could have but it’s just very difficult to get human beings, Americans in particular, to conserve."
Trained as an engineer, Quillen said as far as climate change is concerned, much more carbon dioxide is certainly in the atmosphere now because of human activity – but more scientific analysis is needed to determine whether it’s enough to materially change the environment.
Gordon Hickey, spokesman for governor’s office, said Quillen is serving on the commission as an expert who can bring an industry perspective on issues like carbon capture and storage, which could reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
"The coal industry is involved in the climate change issue," Hickey said. "The climate change commission might be making some recommendations that have some effect on the coal industry, and it would be good to hear from someone who might be affected."
Quillen said Alpha planted half a million trees to capture carbon dioxide – and the state’s goal of cutting carbon emissions by 30 percent in 20 years is "a pretty aggressive plan" that will be very difficult without individual conservation.
"If you do the math ... it’s not just going to be carbon dioxide, it’s going to be water, it’s going to be food, it’s going to be a lot of people," he said of rising global population and living standards.
"I certainly don’t think it’s big companies’ problem; it’s everybody’s issue that we’ll have to deal with."
dmccown@bristolnews.com | (276) 791-0701
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