John Pippy, CEO of The Pennsylvania Coal Alliance, will speak during a meeting of the Lehighton 9/12 project at 7 p.m. Jan. 22.

The meeting will be held at the Lehighton American Legion Post. A general gathering of the Lehighton 9/12 group will be held at 6:30 p.m.Sandy Dellicker, president of the Lehighton 9/12 Project, said Pippy will address the Environmental Protection Agency's "war on coal."She said she feels the meeting is important since the EPA proposals could cause electric bills "to skyrocket."The Pennsylvania Coal Alliance, founded in 2012, is an initiative of bituminous coal mining operators, their employees and industry suppliers to educate the public and policymakers about the coal industry in Pennsylvania.She said, "If you use an air conditioner in the summer, if you worry about the cost of your monthly electric bill, if you buy from American businesses, or if you merely want reliable and increasingly clean energy that you can afford then you are directly impacted by the future of coal."The coal alliance represents the interests of over 250 member companies and 41,500 workers in the coal industry.Before his work with the alliance, Pippy served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly for 16 years. He retired in June 2012 from the Senate after serving nine years as senator of the 37th district and eight years in the House of Representatives. Preceding his political career, he worked at U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works in Clairton.Pippy earned a Master of Arts in international relations from Irish American University in Dublin, Ireland. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, with a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering. John currently holds the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and served overseas on active duty in Iraq and Kuwait. He has been awarded numerous medals recognizing his military achievements including the U.S. Army Bronze Star for meritorious service and U.S. Army Engineer Regiment's Bronze De Fleury Medal for outstanding service.He is a member of the advisory board for the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and the Greater Pittsburgh Council/Boy Scouts of America. In addition, he serves on the boards the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Leadership Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens. He is a board fellow for the University Of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics.