Northern Plains Resource Council Meeting Saturday

The Gazette reports on a panel of speakers talking coal at the Northern Plains Resource Council annual meeting in Billings on Saturday. Seth Feaster, a data analyst for the Cleveland, Ohio-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, delivered a presentation on growing market shares for natural gas and renewable energies, increased energy efficiency initiatives, a “less energy intensive” economy and unpredictable world energy markets as some of the many factors contributing to a decreasing demand for coal in America. Saturday’s panel of speakers also discussed the Montana coal community of Colstrip. The Billings-based environmentalist group’s series of speakers included Brad Sauer of the Rosebud Protective Association, Northern Plains researcher Kate French, and Colstrip power plant control room operator and International Brotherhood of Electric Workers Local 1638 union registrar Ted Stimac. Read the whole story online at; billingsgazette.com.