Executive Rewind Plus: An Energy Co. CEO Sends a Message to the Next Administration
Significant climate change is in store for the energy and utility industry in Washington, DC, and King Coal's crown is threatened.
No matter who becomes the next US president, electricity suppliers and coal mining companies will be dealing with a different political environment in the White House, and most likely a reinforced one in the Congress. No doubt environmental groups will feel reenergized in the changed atmosphere.
Yet, the facts remain. The world is consuming much more energy today, putting a strain on supplies. And coal still is the most abundant source worldwide for power generation.
Industry loyalists already understand these facts. But many environmentalists preach against coal. Caught in the middle are audiences that hear these arguments and have yet to make up their minds. These audiences are capable of being persuaded to support coal, as long as they know about its potentials clean-coal technologies.
The industry needs to reach out to those fence-sitters; especially the ones who can best help it achieve its business goals.
Gregory Boyce, chairman and CEO of Peabody Energy, recently did just that on Fox Business Network, responding to critics with strong, positive messages. He talked about coal as an alternative to oil, a source of natural gas and even for liquid transportation fuels. Boyce also appealed to regulators and legislators at the state and federal levels for their help in employing the technologies now available for carbon capture and sequestration.
A high-visibility business show hosted by the widely known and very popular Neil Cavuto of Fox News is one of many important outlets for the industry to target its most important audiences, including Wall Street analysts, individual and institutional investors, fellow executives whose own businesses depend heavily on energy and electricity, as well as lawmakers and regulators. These are among the audiences that can influence energy policy.
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