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Vice Presidential Debate: Representatives Representing Coal-Fueled Electricity Industry Available for Comment On-Site During Thursday's Event

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-(Business Wire)-October 1, 2008 - Representatives from the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) will be on-site at the St. Louis vice presidential debate to promote the importance of coal-based electricity to the overall energy, environmental and economic security of the United States.

ACCCE is a sponsor of CNN’s election coverage and will be located on-campus at Washington University, specifically with the CNN Express Yourself Tour bus in front of the Danforth University Center (6465 Forsyth Blvd.).

“With the current economic struggles of the United States, it is especially important during this election year to make sure all of the candidates keep energy issues at the forefront during debates and campaign stops,” said Joe Lucas, ACCCE vice president of communications. “Energy, the environment and the economy are inextricably linked and we cannot make public policy decisions on one without affecting the others.”

ACCCE representatives will be educating debate attendees on important facts including that coal provides more than half of the country’s electricity needs; it averages one-third the cost of other fuels; and with a 200-year supply in the United States, is domestically abundant.

Over the last 30 years, America’s coal-based electricity providers have invested more than $50 billion in technologies to successfully reduce emissions.

“If Congress and the new administration call on the coal-based electricity sector to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, technology investment is critical to ensure American consumers and businesses are protected from exorbitant electricity rate increases,” said Lucas. “To meet this goal, we need energy polices that favor the funding, development and deployment of advanced clean coal technologies and we need to ensure all of the candidates understand this vital link.”

Note to journalists: ACCCE will be available for comment in St. Louis before and after the debate. Contact: Brad Jones – 703-585-3633 or bjones@cleancoalusa.org.

About ACCCE

The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) is a non-profit, non-partisan partnership of companies involved in producing electricity from coal. Because coal is America’s most abundant energy resource, ACCCE supports energy policies that balance coal’s vital role in meeting our country’s growing need for affordable and reliable electricity with the need to protect the environment. ACCCE also advocates for the development and deployment of advanced clean coal technologies that will produce electricity with near-zero emissions. Headquartered in Alexandria, VA, ACCCE has more than 40 members that represent more than $190 billion in annual revenues and employ more than 360,000 Americans. For more information, visit www.cleancoalusa.org or www.americaspower.org.

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