Washington, D.C. – The National Mining Association (NMA) welcomed a far-reaching public awareness initiative launched today by Peabody, a global energy company and the nation’s largest coal producer. The company’s “Advanced Energy for Life” initiative will raise awareness for the value of coal in eliminating energy poverty among the poorest people in the developing world who lack reliable access to electricity.
“As a global energy provider, Peabody is well positioned to appreciate the vital contributions coal makes to improving the livelihood of hundreds of millions of people who have yet to fully benefit from the electricity access most of us take for granted,” said NMA President and CEO Hal Quinn. “This is a welcome addition to other humanitarian programs designed to help the world’s poor.”
The initiative consists of a digitally-based education program highlighting the widespread benefits of inexpensive energy access and the vital role coal-fueled electricity can play in solving the world’s acute energy challenges. Peabody will also support a research institute that will develop and distribute studies and policy-oriented intellectual capital as well as direct outreach to government, influential institutions and other stakeholders to encourage energy access and opportunities for developing and using advanced energy technologies.
“Advanced Energy for Life” will focus attention on how coal, the world’s fastest growing fossil energy source, can help to alleviate energy poverty. The World Health Organization estimates there are 2.6 billion people who, lacking reliable electricity, are forced to rely on crop and animal waste and wood for cooking and heating. Private studies have estimated that as many as 290 million children currently attend primary schools without electricity. In sub-Saharan Africa, almost a third of health facilities lack electricity, affecting more than 250 million people. An estimated 580 million people in India are deprived of adequate health care because of limited electricity access.