CHARLESTON, W.Va.-
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Joe Miller, together, unveiled the new Friends of Coal license plate this morning at the joint meeting of the West Virginia Coal Association and the West Virginia Coal Mining Institute. Over 100 coal industry representatives were on-hand at the Embassy Suites to get the first look at the new plate, which also features a digitized design—the first in West Virginia.
“The coal mining industry is integral to our nation’s effort to become energy independent,” Gov. Tomlin said. “These new license plates will serve as proud reminder and will help educate our society about coal’s important role in meeting our nation’s energy demands.”
According to Commissioner Miller, the Friends of Coal association was the first organization to qualify under new legislation that authorizes organizations to apply directly to DMV when they want a special plate. Additionally, the Friends of Coal plate is the first digitized license plate in West Virginia.
“I am pleased to work with our vendor, 3M, to roll out the first digitized license plate in West Virginia, setting the precedent for all future license plate production,” said Miller. “The digitized license plate design is more legible for our law enforcement, is very cost effective and should save the state at least $600,000 in production costs.”
Bill Raney, President of the West Virginia Coal Association, served as the host for the event, and emphasized the important role of the coal industry to the state, and the role of the Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary. “The West Virginia Coal Association is excited to unveil the Friends of Coal license plate which will allow West Virginians to proudly display their appreciation for all those who work in our industry and help keep America’s lights on,” said West Virginia Coal Association President Bill Raney. “We are particularly appreciative of the Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary in Beckley who worked tirelessly to make sure this special plate came to fruition. We are also grateful to the DMV for their positive and enthusiastic efforts in bringing this “first-of-its-kind” license plate to the people of West Virginia. It is a real tribute to all of our people,” Raney said. “Coal is a vital piece of West Virginia’s future pumping $26 billion into the economy each year and providing more than 60,000 jobs to West Virginians.”
To apply for your own Friends of Coal license plate, click here.