A new presidential administration should lead to new opportunities for the coal industry, the top official of the National Coal Council said Tuesday.
Bob Beck, executive director of the private-sector council, said changes in government from a new president and new members of Congress — plus changes to their staffs — will provide industry officials with plenty of opportunities to inform them about coal as an inexpensive, clean, domestically available energy source.
"For years in Washington, the coal industry has been very below the radar screen," Beck said during the Intermountain Power Agency's annual meeting.
"All we want is someone who will listen to us and let us talk to them about what we can do to benefit this country. Now it's up to us to work with all the new folks to put coal in the forefront."
That would be welcome news in Utah, a state that last year produced 27 million short tons of coal, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
But Beck said that a Congress relatively evenly divided by party will lead to an even stronger chief executive. The president will be able to continue vetoing measures until Congress — without enough unity to override the vetoes — delivers what he wants.
"If he's got the patience and guts to do it . . . the president, whoever that is, will be in a very strong position," Beck said.
Aside from the House getting a new Commerce Committee chairman who will oversee the debate on an energy restructuring bill, Congress will be ineffective, he said.
"Nothing will get done because the bipartisanship days are long-gone in Washington," Beck said. "I predict it will be a gridlock Congress for two years. Things will get done, but it won't happen in Congress."
He cautioned that that could change if coalitions develop and wield power, including so-called "Blue Dog" Democrats, totaling between 35 and 55, who are more moderate than their liberal colleagues.
Regardless, he said, the industry has hope, growth and opportunity on its side. The hope is based in part on the presidential candidates' campaign emphasis on the benefits of clean-coal technology and their willingness to acknowledge that "coal is a viable and correct source of energy for the country."
"I think we'll see, with increases in electricity demand, a real demand for the use of coal," said Beck, whose council is a collection of about 150 board members appointed by the secretary of energy.
E-MAIL: bwallace@desnews.com