The two-day conference’s theme is: “Coal: Backbone of Energy — Backbone of the Economy.”

After an opening keynote session, conference attendees toured Eastman Chemical Co.’s coal gasification facilities and then played golf at MeadowView’s Cattails course.

In that keynote session, the region’s two congressmen — U.S. Reps. Rick Boucher of Southwest Virginia and Phil Roe of Northeast Tennessee — offered different interpretations on how climate change legislation will affect coal interests.

Boucher, the Abingdon Democrat who voted for the climate change bill that passed in the House, said he’s working to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases.

Last December, the EPA announced greenhouse gases — carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride — threaten the public health and welfare of the American people.

The EPA said it was responding to a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that greenhouse gases fit within the federal definition of air pollutants.

Boucher stressed he worked with utility and coal interests to change the House bill.

Utility interests endorsed the bill but coal interests did not, noted Boucher, who said he is trying to make changes in the Senate version of the legislation.

“The real problem at this point is the Senate is slow to act. ... It is at a standstill,” Boucher told the conference. “There doesn’t appear to be an operational plan that will bring a bill to the floor by the end of this year. ... If Congress doesn’t pass legislation next year, EPA is going to put regulations in place on greenhouse gases from power plants. It’s time to pass a second bill.”

That second bill, explained Boucher, would delay the EPA from acting on climate change for a two-year period.

“I would prefer we override EPA’s authority permanently. ... The problem is we simply don’t have the votes to do that,” said Boucher.

Still, Boucher said demand for hybrid vehicles will drive power consumption, which in turn will create demand for coal to supply coal-fired power plants.

Boucher’s optimism was not shared by Roe, the Johnson City Republican who voted against climate change legislation.

Roe said Congress “has a bull’s-eye” on coal.

“I think it’s deliberate,” Roe said.

Roe claimed climate change legislation would threaten jobs at Eastman and cost households an extra $3,100.

Alternative energy sources like wind power, Roe pointed out, don’t compare to coal.

“I’ve looked at this. ... I’ve studied this issue in detail, and let me tell you, Bob Dylan, the answer my friend ain’t blowin’ in the wind, I can tell you that,” Roe said.

Mark McCullough, senior vice president of Fossil and Hydro Generation at American Electric Power (AEP), noted the utility industry’s concerns include the age of existing facilities and plant security in addition to the tough legislative environment.

AEP uses 76 million tons of coal per year, McCullough said.

“It’s time we all work together. ... There are so many uncertainties in our future,” McCullough told coal producers at the conference.

Alpha Natural Resources Chairman Mike Quillen emphasized coal’s “irreplaceable role” in the energy mix.

Quillen insisted the reason for the Southeast’s economic growth is the low cost of electricity.

He also railed against ongoing misconceptions — like coal mining sustains poverty — that the industry continues to fight.

“I was appointed to the Virginia Community College Board, and I went to the first meeting and announced I was a coal miner,” Quillen said. “It got quiet. People leaned down the table to see what one looked like. Coal miners are in the PTA, the United Way, they are Little League coaches. ... They are great people.

“We’re not looking for bailouts, subsidies or stimulus money. ... We like our black jobs.”

About 350 to 400 coal mining jobs are in Tennessee, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey said at the start of the conference.

Ramsey, a Blountville Republican seeking the GOP gubernatorial nomination, defended receiving about $190,000 in campaign contributions from coal interests.

Ramsey said the amount of the contributions was reported by a Nashville TV station last March.

One of those contributions came from Johnson City construction company owner Jim Powell.

“(The TV station asked) if coal mining continues in Tennessee do you think Mr. Powell will profit from this? I said ‘I certainly hope so.’ This is all about capitalism and profit. Businesses have to make a profit,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey also noted environmental interests unsuccessfully pushed hard this year for a bill to ban surface mining operations 2,000 feet above sea level.

The sound system at the conference unexpectedly got louder when Ramsey said environmentalists asked him about destroying God’s creation.

“People came up to me and said ‘If we don’t pass this bill, the Great Smoky Mountains will be gone,’” Ramsey said. “That’s a national park. I don’t think you can coal mine a national park. Second of all, there is no coal there to begin with. That shows you how emotional this issue got.”