WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has named nine new members to its Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee, which advises the board on issues regarding rail movement of coal, ethanol and other biofuels, and other energy resources.
Newly appointed are:
— Adam Anderson, CEO of Western Fuels Association, appointed as a representative of private railcar owners and lessors;
— John Bridson, vice president of generation of Evergy, appointed as an electric utility representative;
— James Grech, CEO of Peabody Energy, representing coal producers;
— Christopher Hand, director of research for the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, representing labor organizations;
— John Haysbert, vice president of government and institutional relations for Hitachi Energy, appointed as a renewable energy sources representative;
— Paul Lang, CEO of Arch Resources, appointed as a coal producer representative;
— Vern Lund, CEO of Navajo Transitional Energy Co., representing coal producers;
— Dave Slade, chief technologist for Chevron Renewable Energy Group, representing biofuel interests;
— Ben Sweat, chief operating officer of POET Biofuels and POET Pure, appointed as a renewable energy sources representative.
“These nine new members of RETAC represent a broad range of experience in various industries and bring to the committee an intimate knowledge of real-world operations,” STB Chairman Martin Oberman said in a press release. “It is imperative that the Board bring together as many voices as possible in our stakeholder committees. RETAC continues to provide a diversity of perspective and I look forward to working with these new members to discuss issues related to ensuring the effective and efficient rail transportation of energy resources.”
The committee consists of approximately 28 voting members from railroads, coal producers, the petroleum industry, the biofuel industry, electric utilities, the railcar industry, and labor organization. STB members are ex officio members of the committee, as are representatives of the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Transportation, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The committee meets at least twice a year; the next meeting is April 26.
More information on the committee is available here.
