About Us

Over 30 years in the coal industry with 20 years specifically in PRB coals.

Mr. Rahm founded CoalTech Consultants, Inc. in March of 2008 following nearly two years in the ethanol industry as the COO of Ethanex Energy, Inc. a startup ethanol company.

Formerly the Director, Fuel Services for Westar Energy, Inc., Mr. Rahm was responsible for the coal procurement of over 13 million tons of PRB coals annually and a transportation fleet of over 1,800 coal railcars.

Prior to joining Westar Energy in 1999, Mr. Rahm was the Special Projects Manager for Amax Coal West, Inc. for 10 years in Gillette, WY as the Special Projects Manager. From 1991-1993 he managed the world’s largest commercial sub-bituminous coal dryer located at the Amax Belle Ayr Mine. The Coal Dryer Project conducted extensive research in the areas of reducing the dried PRB coal’s reactive characteristics, dust suppression chemicals for the treatment of the enormous amount of super fine coal dust generated during the drying process, explosion characteristics, spontaneous combustion and coal dust fire-fighting procedures.

Following the closure of the Coal Drying Project Mr. Rahm worked with the company’s coal sales group providing their electric power company customers with comprehensive coal-handling risk assessments. This was the beginning of what is now an industry service provided by numerous vendors including CoalTech Consulting, Inc.

Mr. Rahm was also employed with McNally Pittsburg, Inc. for 14 years as a senior project manager, engineering and constructing coal dryers, coal preparation plants and handling systems throughout the United States and Canada.

Mr. Rahm is currently a contributing editor and has authored many articles for Power and Coal Power magazines. He has given presentations at conferences including Edison Electric Institute, National Coal Transportation Association, ASME, Electric Power, POWER-GEN, PRB Coal Users’ Group, PRB Coal Symposium and at numerous electric utilities.

Mr. Rahm is an inventor on U.S. Patent 6,086,647 for a coal dust suppressant.

Mr. Rahm is a past chair of the ASME’s Fuels and Combustion Technology (FACT) Division and is the founder, a former chair and presently the executive director of the PRB Coal Users’ Group. The PRB Coal Users’ Group has over 1000 members of which 637 are from 76 operating companies. In 2006, Mr. Rahm was appointed to the National Coal Council by the Secretary of Energy.