Peabody Energy Chairman And CEO Greg Boyce Recognized For Peabody's Leadership In Sustainable Mining, Energy Access And Clean Coal Solutions

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gregory H. Boyce today was honored for a lifetime of contributions to the global coal industry to advance sustainable mining, energy access and clean coal solutions at the 34^th Coaltrans World Conference in Copenhagen. The recognition coincided with Boyce's keynote address urging world industry leaders to fight energy inequality with greater use of 21^st century coal.

Under Boyce's leadership, Peabody has expanded to serve the highest growth markets around the world.  Boyce's many contributions to the coal industry include leading industry initiatives in the United States and globally to:

• Expand industry commitment and performance for safety;
• Advance best practices in operations, including safety, productivity, resource recovery and land restoration;
• Combat global energy poverty and increase access to low-cost electricity;
• Support public policies to expand development and deployment of coal conversion and clean coal technologies; and
• Increase public awareness and support of 21^st century coal and the essential role it brings in advancing economic progress and a better quality of life.   

Boyce has been the industry's leading advocate to alleviate global energy poverty.  During his keynote, he called on global leaders to focus on twin energy challenges:  creating low-cost energy access to satisfy projected energy growth and addressing the immediate needs of the world's energy impoverished. He also reviewed the policy platform that is essential to achieve these goals.      

"Abundant low-cost energy allows everyone to live longer and to live better," said Boyce. "With it, we can do almost anything.  Without it, we are consigned to short, mean lives.  Quite simply: Energy is life, and coal is energy.  Today, I call on all of us to recognize the life-giving resource that energy provides and coal's vital role in securing a strong energy future."

Coal is the world's fastest-growing major fuel, and demand continues to increase, year in and year out, to serve global population growth and urbanization. Forecasts suggest that in the next 15 years, the world population will exceed 8.3 billion people. Billions more will be added to cities.  Electricity use will be up 69 percent based on the International Energy Agency's current policies scenario. And world coal use would increase to approximately 12 billion tons annually. This decade alone, nearly 350 gigawatts of coal capacity have come on line in 30 nations.

Boyce said that energy is essential for people and economies to thrive.  Yet as the world nears the 2015 U.N. Millennium goal deadline to halve extreme global poverty, the effects of energy poverty are widespread. 

As many as 3.5 billion people lack proper energy access, and 1.2 billion are children.  Some 3 billion people rely on primitive biomass for cooking and heating. The heaviest burden falls on women and children who walk hours each day to secure firewood or biomass for primitive indoor stoves.  The smoke from daily indoor fires results in dire health effects: more than 4 million people die annually from indoor air pollution resulting from energy poverty. 

"One cannot begin to comprehend the grueling fight against energy poverty that weighs on the shoulders of families day after day throughout the developing world.  Humanity deserves so much more. I submit that energy poverty is the most serious crisis that our world faces. It's high time we reset our priorities to address this issue," Boyce said. 

Boyce also challenged the world to deliver more coal more cleanly to help satisfy growing energy needs and achieve important environmental goals using 21^st century coal, a concept advanced by the United States and China at the 2009 Beijing Summit. Twenty-first century coal describes today's high-efficiency supercritical technology as well as the collection of technologies that reduce key power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates and mercury.

"Greater use of advanced coal is the solution to fight energy inequality and improve emissions.  Fuel choices matter and policy choices matter."  

Boyce concluded by urging leaders to work toward polices that protect people and the environment.

"Our journey is long and begins with a single step.  Let's take that step today.  Together we can end energy inequality if we are willing to work with governments and allies across all sectors.  I challenge all of us to work toward a better future for our families and children than we have today by extending the golden thread of modern energy."

For those who want to learn more about combatting energy poverty, increasing access to low-cost electricity and technology solutions, visit AdvancedEnergyForLife.com and Advanced Energy for Life on Facebook and YouTube.  Use our Twitter handle @AdvancedEnergy.

Peabody Energy is the world's largest private-sector coal company and a global leader in sustainable mining, energy access and clean coal solutions. For further information, visit PeabodyEnergy.com.

CONTACT:
Beth Sutton
(928) 699-8243

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SOURCE Peabody Energy