Friday, April 8, 2016
8:30 – 8:45 Welcome
Joyce McConnell
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Gregory Dunaway
Dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
8:45 – 9:05 Overview of the Issues
Adele Morris
Senior Fellow and Policy Director for the Climate and Energy Economics Project,
Brookings Institution
9:05 – 9:30 Fundamental Changes in the Energy Sector, Impact on the Demand for Central Appalachian Coal
Charles Patton
President and C.O.O., Appalachian Power
9:30 – 9:55 Impact of the U.S. Supreme Court Decision and Legal Proceedings on the Coal Industry Trends
Michael Gerrard
Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School
9:55 – 10:15 Trends in Appalachian Coal Production, Energy Sector Employment, West Virginia Economic Activity
John Deskins
Director, WVU Bureau of Business and Economic Research
10:15 – 10:30 Discussion
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – 11:15 Putting a Face on the Economic Impacts; the Case for Economic Assistance for Coal-Reliant Regions
Moderator
Jeremy Richardson
Senior Energy Analyst
Union of Concerned Scientists
Panelists
Brandon Dennison
Executive Director, Coalfield Development Corporation
Jeff Whitehead
Executive Director, Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program
Ben Gilmer
President, Refresh Appalachia
11:15 – 12:00 West Virginia’s Transitioning Economy:
Where Have We Been and Where are We Headed?
Keith Burdette
Cabinet Secretary, West Virginia Department of Commerce
Thomas A. Heywood
Managing Partner, Bowles Rice
President, Discover the Real West Virginia Foundation
Kelley M. Goes
Member, Jackson Kelly PLLC, Former Cabinet Secretary, West Virginia Department
of Commerce
12:00 – 12:45 Lunch - Event Hall
12:45 – 1:15 Lunchtime Keynote Address - Event Hall
Former U.S. Senator John D. Rockefeller IV (D.-WV)
1:15 - 2:00 Current Federal Policy Proposals for Coal-Reliant Community Support
Samuel Petsonk
Attorney, Mountain State Justice, presenting summaries of the Power+ Plan and the
relevant proposals of the Republican presidential candidates
Congressman Evan H. Jenkins (R-WV.) will present a video message regarding the Revitalizing the Economy of Coal Communities by Leveraging Local Activities and Investing More (RECLAIM) Act, which he is co-sponsoring
Caryn Compton
Legislative Director in the Office of Senator Bernie Sanders,
Trevor Houser
Energy Policy Advisor, Hillary for America
2:00 – 3:20 Addressing the Needs of Coal-Reliant Communities: The Elements of a Successful Program
Moderator
Adele Morris
Senior Fellow and Policy Director for the Climate and Energy Economics Project,
Brookings Institution
Panelists
Chuck Fluharty
Founder, President and CEO, Rural Policy Research Institute
Jeff Whitehead
Executive Director, Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program
Eugene M. Trisko
Energy Economist, Attorney at Law, United Mine Workers
3:20 – 3:40 Break
3:40 – 5:00 The Realities of Moving Forward: Embracing Tomorrow – Resources and Collaborations
Moderator
Court Gould
Executive Director, Sustainable Pittsburgh
Panelists
Chris Meyer
Consultant at Rockefeller Family Fund
Mary Hunt
Senior Program Officer, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Kent Spellman
Executive Director, West Virginia HUB
Noah Kaufman, Ph.D.
Economist, U.S. Climate Initiative
World Resources Institute
5:00 – 5:15 Concluding Remarks
Gregory W. Bowman
William J. Maier, Jr. Dean
Professor of Law, WVU College of Law