Goodbye from the Twin Cities Posted by Joe Lucas on 09/05/2008 10:36:02 AM

The balloons have fallen, the speeches made, the buttons swapped and the nominees named. So comes to the end our efforts at the Democratic and Republican conventions.

We went to Denver and the Twin Cities to give a voice to millions of Americans who are concerned about higher energy costs. We continued to make people aware of how our energy security is linked both to our national security and our economic security.  As we always do, we continued to push efforts to invest in a new generation of advanced technologies to make American coal – our most abundant energy resource – an even cleaner energy option … including the capture and storage of greenhouse gases. 

It’s been a fun two weeks.

But we’re not done yet. There is still work to be done.

This year, energy policy going to be one of the major issues of this election.  Like John McCain and Barack Obama, we’ll be hitting the campaign trail to make sure that voters continue to ask the candidates about their plans to keep energy costs affordable, secure our energy future, and ensure we pass along a cleaner environment to future generations. 

If you read this blog regularly, you’ve probably noticed that there are people who say that these goals can’t be accomplished.  Well, we do. 

We see that American clean coal not only can be a part of our energy future … but, it must.  Luckily, both candidates agree and we’ll be there to ensure that their support does not go unnoticed.

My Take on the Magic Map and Coal Posted by Joe Lucas on 09/04/2008 03:38:20 PM

If you’ve been watching coverage of the conventions, you’ve probably noticed that energy is a hot topic. You’ve also probably noticed that there are big differences between the two parties on several key energy issues. But one thing they clearly agree upon is American coal.

Besides the fact that coal supplies over half of the electricity we depend upon each day, why has it become such a favorite topic in this election? 

Well, here’s my take on CNN’s famous “magic map” (see below – the percentages reflect how much of each state’s power comes from coal). If you look at the key swing states in this year’s election, you’ll see that most of these states rely heavily on coal for their electricity. In some cases, there is also significant coal production in these states.

Why is this important?

States that rely more heavily on coal for their electricity have significantly lower electricity costs than those that don’t. Not only does this mean lower energy costs for residents, it also makes them attractive for economic development opportunities. And in an election year where the economy and energy costs are dominating the conversation, the candidates know that coal makes a difference in these places.  

That is why they are paying attention – and that is why both McCain, Obama and others agree that American coal will continue to play an important role in our energy future.

Talking with Trent Lott Posted by Joe Lucas on 09/04/2008 12:25:28 PM

As I said earlier, we bumped into former Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) on the floor of the RNC convention. Here's what he had to say:

Coal walking Posted by Joe Lucas on 09/04/2008 01:25:37 AM

Our guy Steve Gates was on the convention floor today talking with delegates about energy security. The Texas delegates (above) dressed the part. Below is Trent Lott. As always, catch the videos at coalwalking.com.

Sarah Palin's speech Posted by Joe Lucas on 09/04/2008 01:03:50 AM

Tonight, Governor Palin and other speakers talked about the role American clean coal will play in our energy future.  She was not alone. Carly Fiorina and others made similar references.

This just goes to prove what we've said all along:  we may not know who will be running this country in 2009, but we know what will -- American coal.

Here's what Palin said:

"Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines ... build more nuclear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources."

Tonight's Speech Buzz Posted by Joe Lucas on 09/03/2008 06:14:52 PM

I suspect that I will not be alone in looking forward to hearing Governor Palin’s speech tonight. From the buzz I’m hearing on today’s political shows, energy policy is going to be a major focus of the governor’s speech. Given that energy prices and concerns about our energy security have emerged as a primary issue in this election, I look forward to what she has to say. It will also be interesting to see if she and/or Senator McCain echo the support of clean coal we heard last week from Senator Obama in Denver. 

Street teams in St. Paul Posted by Joe Lucas on 09/03/2008 11:28:43 AM

Our street teams have been in both Minneapolis and St. Paul all week.

Above are two Minnesota residents who were proud to sport their clean coal hats and buttons.

Below, we handed out goodies to the folks waiting in line for the Daily Show taping.

Lynn Swann Interview Posted by Joe Lucas on 09/03/2008 11:09:24 AM

You read that right. We interviewed NFL great Lynn Swann on the floor of the Republican National Convention. Watch the video to hear his thoughts on energy, the coal industry and CCT. And be sure to check back here later, because we'll be on the convention floor all day.

Chatting with Gov. Heineman Posted by Joe Lucas on 09/02/2008 03:27:19 PM

Earlier today, we sat down with Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman (R) to talk about the importance of continued development and deployment of clean coal technology. 

We talked about how clean coal technology has provided us with tremendous advances in using coal cleaner and more efficiently in the past 35 years. The governor agreed that coal would continue to play a role in the future.

He mentioned he favors an energy porfolio that includes all electricity sources, and we told him we do too.

TV interview Posted by Joe Lucas on 09/02/2008 02:57:16 PM

We did an interview today with Voice of America and Afghanistan TV. They wanted to talk about what sorts of things we're doing to promote clean coal during the political conventions. We'll post a link to the interview when we have it.

One of our billboards in downtown St. Paul Posted by Joe Lucas on 09/02/2008 02:52:12 PM

We're back Posted by Joe Lucas on 09/02/2008 12:55:16 PM

After waiting to see the extent of the damage from Hurricane Gustov, the Republican National Convention is back in business today and so are we.

We're on the ground in the Twin Cities promoting our message just like we did in Denver. We'll be back soon to let you know how it's going!

Sharing and Caring Hands Posted by Joe Lucas on 09/01/2008 02:44:27 PM

As I said yesterday, with Hurricane Gustav causing damage along the Gulf Coast... the events surrounding the Republican National Convention have changed in focus.

Watching on TV as Gustov causes havoc is a reminder of the importance of public service both in the Gulf Coast and everywhere around the nation.

Today, we went with the Ohio delegation to Sharing and Caring Hands in Minneapolis, which relies on donations to provide services (food, clothing, shelter, transportation and medical help) for people in need.

The Ohio delegation helped prepare lunch for the needy.

Gustav on our minds Posted by Joe Lucas on 08/31/2008 06:19:00 PM

Hey there. We've arrived in the Twin Cities for the Republican National Convention. We're excited to be here, but with the nation's attention properly focused on Hurricane Gustav... we're going to use this opportunity to galvanize support for national service.

We'll be helping out the Red Cross and other groups that will be providing service in the preparation and/or the aftermath of the Gulf Coast storm. We're glued to the Weather Channel, and like the rest of the country... we're hoping for the best but fearing the worst.