On Friday, December 11, 2015, representatives from COBRT, CAP Logistics and ICOSA Media traveled to Wyoming for a series of meetings related to the coal industry. This “Coal-O-Quium” was sponsored by the Wyoming Business Alliance in conjunction with the Colorado Business Roundtable, the Wyoming Mining Association, Jordans Western Dining and CAP Logistics. The spotlight of the event was to create a breakthrough clean coal technology to reinvent the industry.

Attendees and presenters came from Colorado and Wyoming, naturally, but also from Texas and Washington, DC. Presentations and discussions about clean coal technology urgencies and academic initiatives; the EPA’s Clean Power Plan; permitting challenges; legislative concerns and comments; and next steps. Several key private companies were represented as well as the University of Wyoming, Wyoming Mining Association, Colorado Mining Association, Rocky Mountain Coal Institute and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Although the event lasted all afternoon, we believe that the last fifteen minutes or so were the most valuable in that several voices had a chance to weigh in about the need for unity in exploring these issues with the future of the coal industry across state borders and potential party divides. Although we are the Colorado affiliate of the national Business Roundtable, it is a crucial aspect of our mission and vision to serve in a regional capacity so that businesses grow and thrive in Colorado, the region, across the nation and internationally.