Peabody, a prominent coal producer, gifted the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) $500,000 to fund research into making coal production and use more environmentally friendly.
Peabody has also committed to donate one cent per ton of Wyoming coal sold, which could mean upwards of $800,000, as Peabody produced over 87 million tons of coal in Wyoming in 2020, according to the Wyoming Mining Association’s most recent report.
The most recent gift will be used to create the Peabody Education, Innovation, and Technology fund, which will “support SER’s pioneering solutions in carbon engineering, management, capture, utilization and storage, as well as reclamation, alternative coal uses, regulatory analysis and policy, and more,” according to a report from the University of Wyoming.
This gift follows a trend set by Peabody, as in 2010 they donated $2 million to SER, which was then matched by the Wyoming Legislature.
The 2010 gift was used to fund the Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion (CCCC) and the Peabody Energy Advanced Coal Technology Laboratory
“Coal is an important resource supplying household energy and steel to communities around the world, and SER’s innovative research is developing technology that will make coal a more sustainable resource,” Jim Grech, President and CEO of Peabody, said.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to Wyoming and to our valued employees and their communities.”
