Kenneth L. Wagner Joins Peabody Energy as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Peabody Energy today announced that Kenneth L. Wagner has been named Vice President and Assistant General Counsel with legal responsibility for corporate governance and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) compliance for the company. Wagner will report to Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Alexander C. Schoch. Wagner joined the company on Sept. 24.

Wagner has 25 years of extensive corporate legal experience, most recently as Associate General Counsel for Bank of America. In that role, he provided advice and counsel to senior management on corporate governance, SEC compliance and executive and director compensation matters.

He previously served in legal positions with Goodrich Corporation, including Principal Counsel and Assistant Secretary. Earlier in his career, Wagner worked in private practice and as a Special Counsel for the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance.

Wagner holds a Master of Laws in Securities Regulation from Georgetown University, as well as a Juris Doctorate and Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Kansas. He is admitted to practice law in several states, and serves on the national board of directors of the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals.

Peabody Energy is the world's largest private-sector coal company, with 2006 sales of 248 million tons of coal and $5.3 billion in revenues. Its coal products fuel approximately 10 percent of all U.S. electricity generation and more than 2 percent of worldwide electricity.

CONTACT: Derrell Carter (314) 342-7667