The Western Fuels Symposium (formerly Low-Rank Fuels Symposium) has a long history: the first symposium was held in 1961. Organized under the joint sponsorship of the University of North Dakota (UND) and the Federal Bureau of Mines, the symposium was held on UND's campus in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Those attending represented industry, government, and educational institutions from 17 states, the District of Columbia, and three Canadian provinces.

Throughout the history of the symposium, it has been international in scope and addressed issues related to the efficient and environmentally acceptable use of lignite (brown coal), subbituminous coal, and peat. The 19th Western Fuels Symposium will address advances in low-rank coal utilization technologies and emerging issues such as mercury emissions, coalbed methane, and nonfuel uses.