United States Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), a leading advocate for an “all of the above” energy policy, will address the opening session of the 116th National Western Mining Conference & Exhibition April 15 in Denver, CO.

The conference, sponsored annually by the Colorado Mining Association (CMA), will be held at the Colorado Convention Center, April 14-17, 2014. The event will be Colorado’s largest mining industry conference and trade show in 2014, and is expected to draw up to 1,000 mining and resource professionals, as well as 110 exhibitors.

Manchin, a native West Virginian, was born and raised in the small mining town of Farmington. A former legislator, Secretary of State and Governor, Manchin as U. S. Senator has been a tireless advocate for a national energy plan that “utilizes all of our resources and that finally ends our dependence on Middle East oil.” West Virginia is a leading coal producing state.

Taking aim at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Manchin said recently that “we need to rein in the EPA, stop demonizing the one resource that produces nearly half our power – coal - and develop a national energy plan [that leads the nation] to energy independence.”

Stuart Sanderson, CMA President, issued the following statement: “CMA is pleased that Senator Manchin will participate in our conference. He has been on the leading edge of national energy policy and is a strong advocate for sensible policies that make use of our nation’s most abundant energy fuel. At the same time, he has stood up in opposition to policies that would hinder coal use and threaten our nation’s energy security.”

Colorado is a major coal producing state, ranking 11th among the states in coal production in 2013. Clean coal from Colorado helps utilities meet clean air standards, and royalties paid on production from federal lands supports local governments and the public school system in Colorado. Colorado is also a leading producer of molybdenum, gold, gypsum, sodium bicarbonate and many other products essential to our daily lives.

This year’s theme, “Moving Forward from the World’s Mining Capital,” reflects not only the diversity of the state’s mineral production, valued at nearly $7 billion, but also the role that Denver based companies play in worldwide mineral development.

The National Western Mining Conference & Exhibition is sponsored annually by the Colorado Mining Association, which was founded in 1876, the year that Colorado achieved statehood. CMA’s more than 950 members include the producers of coal, metals and other minerals, as well as organizations that serve, supply and support the industry, throughout Colorado, the west and the world.