Press Releases

Peabody Energy has announced the re-election of Sandra Van Trease to its board of directors at the company's annual shareholders meeting today. Van Trease is Group President, BJC HealthCare, one of the largest nonprofit healthcare organizations, delivering services to residents in the greater St. Louis, Southern Illinois and mid-Missouri regions.

The board also thanked Dr. Henry Givens Jr. and Dr. James R. Schlesinger for their service upon their retirement from the board in accordance with the company's retirement policy.

Shareholders also voted to elect all directors on an annual basis. The change in the company's charter will result in directors being elected for one-year terms in 2009 and beyond. Directors currently serving terms that expire at the 2010 and 2011 annual meetings will serve the remainder of their respective terms, and their successors will be elected to one-year terms.

Peabody Energy is the world's largest private-sector coal company, with 2007 sales of 238 million tons and $4.6 billion in revenues. Its coal products fuel approximately 10 percent of all U.S. electricity generation and 2 percent of worldwide electricity.

PEABODY ENERGY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gregory H. Boyce is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Peabody Energy, a position he has held since October 2007. In March 2005, Peabody's Board of Directors named Mr. Boyce to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer Elect. He assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer in January 2006 and was elected Chairman by the Board of Directors in October 2007. He was elected to the Board of Directors in March 2005 and chairs the Executive Committee. Mr. Boyce joined Peabody in October 2003 as President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Peabody, Mr. Boyce served as Chief Executive Officer -- Energy for international mining company Rio Tinto in London, with responsibility for coal and uranium operations located in five countries. Prior to that, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Kennecott Energy Company. Other prior positions include President of Kennecott Minerals Company and Executive Assistant to the Vice Chairman of Standard Oil of Ohio.

Mr. Boyce holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in mining engineering from the University of Arizona, and the Advanced Management Program degree from the Harvard University's Graduate School of Business. Mr. Boyce's leadership positions include Vice Chairman of the World Coal Institute, member of the National Coal Council (NCC) and Study Chair of NCC's 2006 report, "Coal: America's Energy Future." He serves on the board of directors of Marathon Oil Corporation. He is also a member of the Coal Industry Advisory Board of the International Energy Agency. He is a Board member of the Business Roundtable, the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) and the National Mining Association. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association and a member of Civic Progress in St. Louis. Mr. Boyce is a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Louis Children's Hospital; the School of Engineering and Applied Science National Council at Washington University in St. Louis; and the Advisory Council of the University of Arizona's Department of Mining and Geological Engineering.

William A. Coley is Chief Executive Officer and Director of British Energy Group plc, the United Kingdom's largest electricity producer. He has held this position since March 2005. He was formerly a non-executive director of British Energy. He served as President of Duke Power and retired in February 2003. During his 37-year career with Duke Power, Mr. Coley held various officer-level positions in the engineering, operations and senior management areas. Mr. Coley was named Senior Vice President of Customer Operations and elected to the Duke Power Board of Directors in 1990, named President of the Associated Enterprises Group in 1994 and elected President in 1997. Mr. Coley earned his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and is a registered professional engineer. He is also a director of E. R. Jahna Enterprises.

William E. (Wilber) James is a Founding Partner of RockPort Capital Partners LLC, a venture fund specializing in energy and environmental technology and advanced materials. Prior to joining RockPort, Mr. James co-founded and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Power LLC, a leading power marketer. Previously, Mr. James was a co-founder of the nonprofit Citizens Energy Corporation and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Corporation, its for-profit subsidiary, from 1987 to 1996. Mr. James holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College.

Robert B. Karn III is a financial consultant and former managing partner in financial and economic consulting with Arthur Andersen LLP in St. Louis. Before retiring from Andersen in 1998, Mr. Karn served in a variety of accounting, audit and financial roles over a 33-year career, including Managing Partner in charge of the global coal mining practice from 1981 through 1998. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has served as a Panel Arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association. Mr. Karn serves on the Board of Directors of Natural Resource Partners, L.P., a coal-oriented master limited partnership that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Fiduciary/Claymore MLP Opportunity Fund, the Fiduciary/Claymore Dynamic Equity Fund and Kennedy Capital Management, Inc.

Henry (Jack) E. Lentz is an Advisory Director for Lehman Brothers Inc. He has held this position since January 2004. Mr. Lentz joined Lehman Brothers in 1971 and became a Managing Director in 1976. In 1988, Mr. Lentz left Lehman Brothers to serve as Vice Chairman of Wasserstein Perella Group, Inc., an investment banking firm. In 1993, he returned to Lehman as a Managing Director and served as head of the firm's worldwide energy practice. In 1996, he joined Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking Group as a Principal and in January 2003 became a consultant to the Merchant Banking Group. Mr. Lentz is currently a director of Rowan Companies, Inc. and CARBO Ceramics, Inc. Mr. Lentz holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

William C. Rusnack is former President and Chief Executive Officer of Premcor Inc., one of the largest independent oil refiners in the United States prior to its acquisition by Valero Energy Corporation in 2005. He served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Premcor from 1998 to February 2002. Prior to joining Premcor, Mr. Rusnack was President of ARCO Products Company, the refining and marketing division of Atlantic Richfield Company. During a 31-year career at ARCO, he was also President of ARCO Transportation Company and Vice President of Corporate Planning. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in general chemistry from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He is also a director of Sempra Energy and Flowserve Corporation.

Dr. Blanche M. Touhill is Chancellor Emeritus and Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. She previously served as Chancellor and Professor of History and Education at the University of Missouri - St. Louis from 1991 through 2002. Prior to her appointment as Chancellor, Dr. Touhill held the positions of Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Interim Chancellor at the University of Missouri -- St. Louis. Dr. Touhill holds bachelor's and doctoral degrees in history and a master's degree in geography from St. Louis University. Dr. Touhill has served on the Board of Directors of Trans World Airlines and Delta Dental as well as a number of civic organizations. In 1997, she was named the St. Louis Citizen of the Year.

John F. Turner is former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) within the State Department. Mr. Turner had served as Assistant Secretary from November 2001 to July 2005. Prior to his appointment, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to public-private partnerships to protect land and water resources. He has also served as the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1989 to 1993. Mr. Turner began his career in state politics, serving 19 years in the Wyoming state legislature and is a past president of the Wyoming State Senate. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Notre Dame, and a master's degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Michigan. He serves as a Consultant to The Conservation Fund. He also serves as Chairman of the University of Wyoming's Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources and as a Visiting Professor of Environment and Natural Resources at the university. He is also a director of International Paper Company and Ashland, Inc.

Sandra A. Van Trease is Group President, BJC HealthCare, a position she has held since September 2004. BJC Healthcare is one of the largest nonprofit healthcare organizations, delivering services to residents in the greater St. Louis, Southern Illinois and mid-Missouri regions. Prior to joining BJC HealthCare, Ms. Van Trease served as President and Chief Executive Officer of UNICARE, an operating affiliate of WellPoint Health Networks Inc., from 2002 to September 2004. Ms. Van Tease also served as President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of RightCHOICE Managed Care, Inc. from 2000 to 2002, and as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer from 1997 to 2000. Prior to joining RightCHOICE in 1994, she was a Senior Audit Manager with Price Waterhouse LLP. She is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management Accountant. Ms. Van Trease is also a Director of Enterprise Financial Services Corporation and serves on the Board of Directors of a number of civic organizations. She earned her master's degree in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis and her bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Missouri -- St. Louis.

Alan H. Washkowitz is the former Managing Director of Lehman Brothers Inc. He was part of the firm's Merchant Banking Group until July 2005, with responsibility for the oversight of Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking Partners II L.P. Mr. Washkowitz joined Kuhn Loeb & Co. in 1968 and became a general partner of Lehman Brothers in 1978 when Kuhn Loeb & Co. was acquired by Lehman. Prior to joining the Merchant Banking Group, Mr. Washkowitz headed Lehman Brothers' Financial Restructuring Group. Mr. Washkowitz holds an MBA from Harvard University and a Juris Doctorate from Columbia University. He is a director of L-3 Communications Corporation.

   CONTACT:
   Beth Sutton
   (505) 287-2636

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

SOURCE: Peabody Energy