Top of mind at the SME annual conference is the importance of understanding available energy sources and their use and implementation
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Jan. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) will be hosting the 2024 MINEXCHANGE Annual Conference & Expo from February 25-28, in Phoenix, Arizona. This year’s conference will feature leading energy experts including a keynote session followed by a panel discussion.
The MINEXCHANGE speakers include:
- Alex Epstein (keynote): Epstein is a philosopher and energy expert who argues that "human flourishing" should be the guiding principle of energy and environmental progress. He will be delivering a keynote session titled “Energy is Everything” which will focus on the need for affordable and reliable energy and how coal and other fossil fuels can continue to provide improved energy delivery systems for developing nations.
- Bradford Crabtree (panelist): Crabtree is the Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE's) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), where he leads and directs FECM’s research and development programs. Crabtree brings nearly three decades of experience in energy and climate policy to his role as Assistant Secretary.
- Joseph Craft III (panelist): Craft is the President and CEO, Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. Craft served as President of MAPCO Coal Inc. since 1986. During that period, he also was Senior Vice President of MAPCO Inc. He is a Director of the National Mining Association, and a Director and former Chairman of America’s Power.
- Jimmy Brock (panelist): Brock is the President and CEO, CONSOL Energy. Brock previously served as the Chief Operating Officer - Coal of CNX Resources Corporation (CNX) from 2010-2017. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the board of directors of the general partner of CONSOL Coal Resources LP.
- Jimmy Staton (panelist): Staton is currently the President and CEO of Santee Cooper, a public power and water provider in South Carolina. He also served as Executive Vice President for NiSource, one of the largest fully regulated utility companies in the United States with approximately 3.5 million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers across seven states.
“We are excited to have an amazing array of industry experts at our conference this year speaking about the future of our industry,” said Marc Levier, SME President. “In addition to keynote speaker, Alex Epstein, our panel of speakers will be delivering quality content and key takeaways for our mining professionals to understand how we meet the energy demand in a changing world.”
This year’s keynote session, Energy is Everything, led by author Alex Epstein, will touch on the need for affordable and reliable energy in the future. The session will also include discussions on how coal and other fossil fuels can continue to provide improved energy delivery systems for developing nations, as well as the state of the U.S. energy grid and its future.
Click here for more information about SME and the 2024 MINEXCHANGE Annual Conference & Expo.
About SME:
The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) brings together the mining and mineral industry’s brightest and most dedicated professionals. Over 13,000 global members advance their careers with world-class technical resources, educational programs, networking opportunities, and professional development tools from SME. Our members are focused on sharing best practices on safety, environmental stewardship, and moving mining forward. SME. Inspiring mining professionals worldwide.
Media Contact:
Karen Hamill
Communications Strategy Group (CSG)
khamill@wearecsg.com
