Hank’s Reno Junction Travel Plaza sits at the busy intersection of Wyoming Highways 387 and 59, making it a strategic stop for travelers, truckers and coal miners working at the nearby North Antelope Rochelle Mine.
When Peabody Energy announced Tuesday it planned to ramp up production at the mine, Hank Pridgeon — the namesake of this combo bar-restaurant-truckstop — greeted the news with a laugh.
“I’ve been here for almost 40 years, so I’ve definitely seen them ups and downs of the coal and the energy industry as a whole,” said Pridgeon, who looked forward to sharing news about Peabody’s announcement with customers. “There’s not a single coal miner sitting in here right now. But I know that’s definitely good news for the economy.”
A statement Tuesday from Peabody announced a contract to provide 7-8 million tons of coal per year to Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (Associated) for at least the next 7 years. Peabody operates the world’s largest-producing coal mine, the North Antelope Rochelle Mine located in Campbell County.
Associated provides 2.1 million people across Missouri, northeast Oklahoma and southeast Iowa, according to its website.
Pridgeon figured as word got out about plans to increase local coal production, he might see an uptick in sales for Hank’s signature dishes and beverages.
“We make a hell of a Montecristo,” said Pridgeon, who mostly sells Budweiser, Modelo and shots of Jack Daniel’s at the bar.
For Pridgeon, any increase in coal production is good news for his collection of businesses.
“My whole complex of the bar, of the restaurant and the travel plaza and the catering service — they all kind of follow the energy trends. So yeah, this is great news,” said Pridgeon.
“There were there were a lot of people moving on and going to other professions and taking early retirement and that type of thing over the last four years so I think this will create a little excitement around here.”
Industry Optimism
Reached at an industry event in Georgia, Travis Deti, executive director with the Wyoming Mining Association, responded to the news with optimism. He believes Peabody’s 7-year contract with Associated is the first in a line of new demand for Wyoming coal.
“Back in the olden days when we were mining 460 million tons a year, contracts were multiyear contracts,” said Deti, who characterized the latest news from Peabody not as a return to those heydays, but still encouraging for anyone with a financial stake in coal.
“You’re going to see some pretty solid production,” said Deti.
Deti noted the Trump Administration’s decision to re-open mineral leasing in the Powder River Basin as another development playing out well for the coal industry.
“When you take 180-degree turn and now the resources are available again, folks are acting on that,” said Deti.
In a prepared statement, Peabody President and CEO Jim Grech said, “This substantial agreement demonstrates the ongoing importance of Peabody’s coal in providing reliable, affordable baseload electricity for years to come.”
“American demand for electricity is growing for the first time in many years given increased power needs from data centers and artificial intelligence,” continued the statement. “We are pleased to extend our long-term relationship with Associated and look forward to supplying their fuel needs well into the future.”
Peabody will supply Associated’s coal requirements for the New Madrid Power Plant and Thomas Hill Energy Center in Missouri.
The company press release also pointed out Peabody’s long-term, 30-year relationship with Associated.
The North Antelope Rochelle Mine is considered the largest coal mine in the world by reserves.
“The mine has some 1.7 billion tons of provable and probable reserves,” according to Peabody marketing materials, and it sold 60 million tons of coal in 2024.