Coal isn’t dead, and neither is Peabody Energy.

Yes, the industry is in the midst of one of the longest slumps in memory. Yes, heavy debt loads are weighing on companies that made acquisitions when coal prices peaked. And yes, the sector’s largest company warned last week that it may have to file for bankruptcy.

But that doesn’t mean the fuel won’t generate a significant chunk of electricity for decades to come, or that Peabody won’t remain the largest player in the industry.

“Coal is going to be around for a long time, and Peabody is going to be around for a long time,” said Vic Svec, Peabody’s longtime spokesman and vice president of investor relations.

In an interview, Svec said that despite the company’s challenges, it won’t be vacating Peabody Plaza anytime soon. It’s one of the largest companies headquartered in the city of St. Louis, and it intends to stay in St. Louis “for a long time to come.”

Peabody, founded in Chicago in 1883, has long maintained offices in St. Louis to oversee its Southern Illinois mines. In 1957, it announced it would relocate its corporate headquarters here in downtown St. Louis. At the time, that grew its local office from 200 employees to 350.