Energy is Everything

MINEXCHANGE 2024 Keynote and Panel Session

Speaker: Alex Epstein, Author and Energy Expert

Panelists: Jimmy Brock, CONSOL Engergy, Inc.; Bradford Crabtree, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), and Jimmy Staton, President and CEO, Santee Cooper

Fossil fuels have fostered global human flourishing and pulled millions of people out of poverty. Factoring in an estimated coal reserve of approximately 250 billion tonnes in the United States, roughly 23% of the world reserve, these minerals continue to impact the global energy mix.

Energy expert Alex Epstein opens the MINEXCHANGE 2024 SME Annual Conference keynote session with a presentation about the need for affordable and reliable energy in the future and perspectives on how coal and other fossil fuels can continue to provide improved energy delivery systems for developing nations. With nearly a billion people without reliable power and potable water, providing affordable, reliable energy encourages the innovation necessary to support developing countries sustainably.

The transition to alternative energy resources and the related supply chain development is long. The use of fossil fuels, including coal, is needed during this process. The session will also discuss the state of the U.S. energy grid, plans for improvement and growth, and the complexity of balancing the grid. A panel discussion follows the overview and covers possibilities on the ability to adapt green energy solutions to a wide energy grid.