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WILKES-BARRE — Donald Trump won the presidency, in part, by championing the coal industry — “Trump digs coal” signs aren’t hard to find in this region. But that notion might be a tough sell in Germany.
Wilkes University is hosting a speaker Thursday who will focus on Germany’s transition from coal, offering “perspectives for Pennsylvania”
“His name is Timon Wehnart and he’s come in from Berlin,” explained Robert Hughes, one of the panelists who will participate in the presentation at the University’s Stark Learning Center.
The executive director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Hughes said Wehnart works at the Wuppertal Institute in Germany and has done research on efforts there to re-purpose coal facilities, abandoned mines and communities as the country transitions away from the fossil fuel.
Along with looking at the big picture of shifting from coal to renewable and alternative energy, Hughes said Wehnart has studied “what kind of jobs were created, how they reuse some of the coal industry facilities and infrastructure, and how they capitalized on the surrounding landscape.
“He can give us an idea of what the situation is in Germany, and what we can learn.”
Innovations in making the change from coal include using abandoned mineland for solar panels or wind farms, using tunnels for geothermal projects, and even using the large quantities of water discharging from mines to run turbines that generate electricity.
Wehnart is scheduled to talk for about 30 minutes beginning around 7:15 p.m., followed by a panel discussion. Along with Hughes, the panel will included Rob Altenburg from PennFuture, Lindsay Baxter from the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, John Dawes from the Foundation for PA Watersheds, Wilkes University Institute for energy and environmental research associate director Kenneth Klemow, and Luzerne County council candidate Wendy Cominsky.
The panel discussion is also planned for about 30 minutes, leaving time for audience questions before things are wrapped up by 9 p.m.
Hughes suspects Wehnart’s topic is particularly timely because of Trump’s promise for a resurgent coal industry. That, incidentally, is something Hughes considers unlikely around here.
Most of the coal that is readily available has been accessed, he said, and the ore that remains in deeper mines is likely flooded with water that would have to be pumped out and treated before being discharged into streams.
“That may be more costly than people think,” Hughes said, which means “bringing deep mining back here is not likely.” But the water in those mines presents other opportunities. “What people don’t see are billions of gallons of water reservoirs which have the potential for hydroelectric or geothermal use.”