VCCER Brochure

Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research

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"The energy crisis of the early 1970s, which was caused by war and large hikes in the cost of Middle East oil, sent reverberations around the world. The immediate effect on the lives of most Americans was disagreeable: long lines at the gas pumps and higher heating oil bills. Nevertheless, the long-term effect has been beneficial: smaller, more efficient automobiles, energy conservation techniques in buildings have become commonplace, and appliances are marketed with energy efficiency ratings. Most importantly, we learned that fluctuations in the price or availability of raw materials have immdiate and massive consequences in the national and international economies, and in the day-to-day lives of ordinary people."

"During the second half of the `70s, western nations sought to control escalating energy needs and to assure continuity of supplies. The Virginia General Assembly responded by establishing the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research (VCCER). at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. The VCCER was founded in 1977. Since its inception, the VCCER has responded well to the changing challenges faced by Virginia's coal and energy industries. The center's reputation is based on the quality of its work and its ability to provide unbiased and objective information."