December 8, 2008

Conference highlights coal's role in advancing Indiana, U.S. economy

Frank Maisono, a media specialist for Bracewell & Guiliani LLP and adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University's Carey Business School, will discuss "Business, Energy and the Environment – What to Expect" at 7 p.m. Thursday (Dec. 11) in rooms 134 and 135 of the conference center. The conference continues Friday (Dec. 12).

Marty Irwin, director of the Indiana Center for Coal Technology Research, said the conference will update advancements in clean-coal technology and highlight the crucial role that coal plays for the state and nation's industrial sectors, especially steel.

Coal currently supplies 95 percent of the energy needs to fuel Indiana's electric power generators, and U.S.-produced coal supplies 49 percent of the basic energy needs for the nation's total electricity demand, said Irwin, whose state-funded center is part of the Energy Center in Purdue's Discovery Park.

To register for the conference, go to https://www.conf.purdue.edu/coal. Sessions are free, but the reception and dinner for Maisono's keynote talk costs $40. The Purdue Calumet Conference Center is at 2300 173rd St. in Hammond.

The conference's first-day lineup, which runs from 1:30-5 p.m., features talks by Daniel Sajkowski, business unit leader for oil giant BP; Robert Shanks, operations vice president at Arch Coal Inc.; Eric Knorr, corporate manager for supply-chain management at Mittal Steel Co.; and Jeffrey Siirola, technology fellow at Eastman Chemicals Co.

 Sessions on day two, introduced by Jay Gore of Purdue's Energy Center and Purdue Calumet Chancellor Howard Cohen, will run from 8 a.m. to noon. The first session highlights efforts in industrial growth and energy infrastructure. During the second session, from 10 a.m. to noon, panel presentations will focus on railroads and coal transportation, Midwest electricity expansion plans, and regional development coordination for carbon dioxide gas pipelines.

The two-day event coincides with the Indiana Center for Coal Technology Research's advisory panel meeting, which focuses on Indiana coal production and advancements in coal-related technology and research. The advisory panel meets from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 11.

For a complete agenda, go to   https://www.purdue.edu/dp/energy/events/CCTR_Meetings_Dec_2008/
Agenda-12_11-12_08-CCTR.pdf

Writer: Phillip Fiorini, (765) 496-3133, pfiorini@purdue.edu

Sources: Marty Irwin, (765) 494-1610, (765) 49-47414, mirwin@purdue.edu

Jay Gore, (765) 494-1610, gore@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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