Organized in 1989, the Appalachian Region Independent Power Producers Association (ARIPPA) is a non-profit trade association comprised of independent electric power producers, environmental remediators, and service providers located in Pennsylvania and West Virginia that use coal refuse as a primary fuel to generate electricity. Utilizing circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler technology to convert both anthracite and bituminous coal refuse into electricity, ARIPPA plants also provide unique multimedia environmental benefits by combining the production of energy with the removal of coal refuse piles and reclamation of the land for productive purposes.