Monthly Archives: February 2020

In the news today…

Coal:

• E&E News PM and the Associated Press report the Interior Department asserted it would lift the moratorium on leasing public lands for coal mining.
• E&E Greenwire reports Maryland would phase out six remaining coal-fired plants under proposed legislation.
• NPR reports as coal-fired power plants close, water is freed up for other uses, often leading to contentious debates.
• The Wall Street Journal reports many coal miners’ shares are concentrated in the hands of a few large U.S. investors, now that many investors are turning away from coal.
• Mining.com and Argus report the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has rejected Peabody and Arch’s plans to combine operations in Wyoming and Colorado.
• E&E Daily reports lawmakers on Wednesday said they would fix the “broken process” which has taxpayers paying for miners’ black lung health benefits.

Mining:

• The Financial Times reports Rio Tinto has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 and invest $1bn over the next five years in climate-related projects.
• E&E Greenwire reports Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy worked with Pebble to try and help the proposed mine, according to leaked emails obtained by E&E.
• E&E News PM reports the EPA requested more time again to determine whether the proposed Pebble mine threatens Bristol Bay in Alaska.
• The New York Times reports hyper-accumulating plants which thrive in metallic soil may lead to phytomining for minerals.
• The Mesabi Daily News carries an op-ed by Congressman Pete Stauber who argues on behalf of mining country in northern Minnesota and says projects like the PolyMet mine have been needlessly held up.
• Bring Me The News reports a majority of Minnesotans value protecting the environment over mining projects in the north of Minnesota, according to a new poll.

Congress:

• E&E Daily reports Sen. Murkowski’s energy package is expected to be released today.

In the news today…

Coal:

• The Courier Journal carries an op-ed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in which he asserts his role in helping Kentucky coal miners and ending the war on coal.
• Wyoming Public Media reports three bills aimed at boosting coal exports from Wyoming.
• E&E Greenwire and Mining.com report JPMorgan Chase & Co. will seek to restrict investments in coal companies, among other sustainability actions.
• WV Metro News reports a bill offering a tax break for aging coal-fired power plants has passed the West Virginia Senate and moves to the House.

Minerals:

• Mining.com reports industries that rely on lithium for energy storage are expected to balloon over the next 15 years, increasing demand for lithium.

NEPA:

• E&E Greenwire reports the NEPA hearing held Tuesday was dominated by opponents to the changes in rulemaking.

In the news today…

Mining:

• The Christian Science Monitor reports a West Virginia plant will soon try to economically extract rare earths from acid mine drainage.
• E&E Daily reports Sen. Martha McSally may be pressured to co-sponsor a bill banning mining in Arizona if she wants to win reelection.

Minerals:

• The Albuquerque Journal carries an op-ed which advocates for federal support of the domestic uranium mining industry, specifically in the state of New Mexico.
• Deseret News reports Energy Fuels Inc. is boosting uranium operations in Utah in response to the $1.5 billion proposal President Trump has made.

Coal:

• Mining.com reports the Barrick Gold and Newmont joint venture in Nevada is moving away from coal by converting its TS Coal Power Plant into a facility that can also produce power from natural gas.
• Argus reports Birchwood Power Partners plans to close its coal-fired power plant in Virginia in February 2021.
• E&E News PM reports reducing nitrogen oxide emissions from coal-fired power plants boost the yield of crops such as corn and soybeans.

NEPA:

• E&E News PM reports proponents and opponents of the rewrite of NEPA rules make their arguments today at the Interior Department headquarters.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Congress:

• E&E Daily reports Senator Murkowski’s energy package is expected to be released this week.

Mining:

• The Associated Press reports the U.S. Interior Department has published a new set of environmental studies to clarify steps the government will take to conserve sage grouse habitat, bolstering the case for easing restrictions for mining on federal lands.

Minerals:

• Mining.com reports researchers in Japan have found a method to create hydrogen in a process using cobalt.
• Mining.com reports Bitterroot Resources and Below Exploration have entered into a joint venture agreement on a nickel-copper-platinum-palladium project in Michigan.
• Wired reports a lack of cobalt is bottle-necking electric vehicle production as the industry cannot produce enough batteries without sufficient resources.
• E&E Energywire reports Bill Gates is investing in a mining company that promises a better way to extract lithium for batteries to support electric vehicle production.

Coal:

• Mining.com reports no response has been made yet to the lawsuit filed over the proposed Millennium bulk coal export terminal.
• Argus reports Southern Company’s coal-fired generation dropped by nearly 19 percent last year, with more cuts planned in the future.
• Argus reports Paringa Resources’ US subsidiary is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is planning to sell its Kentucky mines.
• E&E Daily reports House lawmakers will hold a hearing this week on the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund.
• E&E Energywire reports ISO New England will keep the 482-megawatt Merrimack Station online through May 2024.

Trade:

• Bloomberg reports White House trade adviser Peter Navarro says the coronavirus crisis shows that the U.S. has off-shored too much of its supply chain.

In the news today…

 Minerals:

• The Washington Examiner reports during the Democratic debate, Elizabeth Warren suggested she’d be willing to allow some exceptions to her ban on drilling and mining on public lands for minerals “we have to have access to.”

 Coal:

• S&P Global reports coal mining jobs hit an all-time low in 2019 and are likely to continue their decline.
• The Minnpost reports Minnesota lawmakers want to encourage seasonal cuts to coal use to save money.
• The Associated Press reports the Navajo Transitional Energy Company has agreed to pay $44 million in local taxes for its two Wyoming coal mines.
• Argus reports U.S. power plant emissions fell significantly in 2019, likely in relation to a shift away from coal-fired generation.
• E&E Energywire reports a Missouri advocacy group is advancing a ballot initiative to require as much as 50% of the state’s power to come from renewable sources by 2040.

 Carbon Capture:

• Wyoming Public Media reports the Wyoming House Revenue Committee heard testimony on a bill that would require public utilities to provide a certain percentage of their generation from “dispatchable and reliable low-carbon electricity,” or electricity such as coal generated using CCS.

 EPA:

• E&E News PM reports states are suing EPA for failing to follow the law in dealing with ozone-forming emissions that cross state lines.

 FERC:

• E&E Energywire reports FERC altered the rules of the New York Independent System Operator to make it easier for fossil fuel power plants to compete with clean energy.

In the news today…

Coal:

• The Post Independent carries an op-ed detailing the effects that closing the Comanche Power Generating station in Colorado has had on the city of Pueblo.
• Argus reports Warrior Met Coal is beginning to build out a new high-volatile type A met coal mine in Alabama.
• Argus reports the Illinois Department of Natural Resources approved a permit for Prairie State Generating Company to expand its Lively Grove coal mine.
• Argus reports the West Virginia House of Delegates Energy Committee unanimously passed a bill that gives tax breaks to the state’s coal-fired power plants.

Carbon Capture:

• E&E Energywire and the Wall Street Journal report the Treasury Department issued guidance on key federal tax credit for CCS projects, but it may not help incentivize CCS projects.

Mining:

• Mining.com reports Newmont’s Boddington operation in Australia will become the first open-pit gold mine with an autonomous haul truck fleet.

FERC:

• E&E Energywire reports FERC will decide on four dockets tied to New York’s capacity markets and how those rules treat resources using subsidies and out-of-market contracts.

EPA:

• The Washington Post reports EPA is poised to rollback MATS, but many in the industry have voiced opposition to such a change.
• Inside EPA reports major epidemiological studies are suggesting early deaths from exposure to fine particulate mater and ozone at levels of pollution below EPA’s current NAAQS for the two criteria of pollutants, potentially bolstering calls to tighten the limits.

In the news today…

Coal:

• S&P Global reports Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC sees a $64 billion spending opportunity on top of double-digit earnings accretion for more than a dozen utilities that decide to retire uneconomic coal plants and replace them with cheaper renewables by 2025.
• Argus reports the Wyoming legislature has advanced a trio of bills aimed at expanding the market for Powder River Basin coal.
• WV Metro News reports the West Virginia House of Delegates is considering a tax break for struggling coal-fired power plants.
• The Concord Monitor reports the Merrimack Station power plant has won another year’s funding from a New England program and will be able to stay open at least through mid-2024.

WOTUS:

• Inside EPA reports the Trump administration’s new rule revising the definition of WOTUS could expand coverage over intermittent waters compared to the Obama-era rule.
• E&E Greenwire reports green groups are planning to sue the Trump administration over its rollback on WOTUS for violating the Endangered Species Act.

NSR:

• Inside EPA reports EPA released new draft guidance recommending “plantwide applicability limits” to avoid stringent NSR permits.

World News:

• Argus reports Chinese firms will be able to apply for exemptions to import tariffs on nearly 700 products, including thermal coal.

Climate:

• WCCO reports the Minnesota House Climate Action Caucus has proposed a $191.5 million spending plan to address climate change that includes investments in efficiency, solar and electric vehicles.

In the news today…

Coal:

• E&E Greenwire reports the Navajo Nation’s coal company has signed a limited waiver of sovereign immunity in order to operate its mines in Wyoming.
• The Casper Star Tribune reports, while many states and utilities are moving away from coal, others are putting mechanisms in place to give coal plants a second chance.
• The Casper Star Tribune (WY) carries an op-ed by Dr. Virendra Mathur in which he argues that advances in coal technology are giving coal a bright future.

Climate:

• The Kansas City Star  reports that Kansas’ renewable energy resources can help the state with climate change planning, according to advocates.
• Reuters reports that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says he will spend $10 billion to fund scientists, activists, nonprofits and other groups fighting climate change.

Happy President’s Day!

In the news today…

Coal:

• MiBiz reports a municipal utility in western Michigan prepares to retire a 70 MW coal plant, but questions remain over how it will add natural gas generation.
• Prairie Public News  reports a utility seeks to add natural gas capacity while retiring two more coal units at a power plant near Bismarck, North Dakota.
• S&P Global reports nearly 20% of the coal delivered in the first three quarters of 2019 went to power plants that are set to close by 2025.

Renewables:

• Utility Dive reports U.S. renewable electricity capacity has doubled since 2010 while actual generation jumped 77% in that time, according to a new report.

Climate:

• Ohio Valley Resource reports that despite strong political support for the coal industry in West Virginia, state lawmakers are starting to pay attention to climate change.

EPA:

• The Hill reports that President Trump has nominated Douglas Benevento to serve as the deputy administrator of the EPA and Mark Menezes to take on the role as deputy Energy secretary. Benevento has worked for the EPA since 2017 and previously worked for Xcel Energy Inc., and Menezes has served as Energy under secretary since 2017 and previously worked as an executive at Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

Happy Valentines Day!

In the news today…

Mining:

• Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly reports it is the most minerals-intensive time in history, which calls for faster permitting processes.
• E&E Greenwire reports the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources appealed the ruling that rejected permits for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine.

Coal:

• Argus reports legislation in Virginia threatens to force the retirement of nearly all its coal plants in the next five years.
• Argus reports more U.S. coal plants are likely to close in the coming years according to Wood Mackenzie.
• Axios reports Delta Airlines is spending $1 billion over the next decade to go carbon neutral.
• S&P Global reports a bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would expand tax credit for carbon capture projects.

Renewables:

• The Casper Star Tribune reports Wyoming lawmakers have proposed a bill that would penalize utilities that rely on renewable sources of energy.

NEPA:

• Politico Pro reports the Southern Environmental Law Center asked a federal court to block CEQ from advancing its proposed changes to NEPA.

In the news today…

Minerals:

• The Salt Lake Tribune reports the U.S. uranium industry would benefit from the proposed uranium reserves in the White House budget.

Coal:

• The Associated Press reports Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon advocated for stopping the closure of coal plants during his State of the State address.
• E&E Greenwire reports mines Murray Energy had originally separated from its bankruptcy have now filed for Chapter 11 relief.
• Inside Climate News reports a push to revive coal mining in Tennessee, particularly on land designated as unfit to mine by the Obama administration.
• Argus reports wind generation outpaced coal-fired power in ERCOT for the fourth straight month in January.
• The Grand Forks Herald carries an op-ed by Michael D. Mann, executive director of the Institute for Energy Studies at UND’s College of Engineering and Mines, in which he advocates for the value of coal-fired generation and the necessity of more efficient, cleaner coal power plants through the Coal FIRST initiative.

Carbon Capture:

• E&E Daily reports Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said the guidance for utilizing a carbon capture and sequestration tax credit will be issued within weeks.
• The Wall Street Journal reports growing popularity for carbon capture and efforts by oil corporations to cut the costs and energy requirements of carbon capture.

FERC:

• Politico Pro and E&E Daily report the White House renominated James Danly to FERC.

EPA:

• Inside EPA reports EPA’s latest analysis of TRI data shows that total disposal fell by 9 percent between 2007 and 2018; EPA’s new interactive graphic on metal mines and TRI is referenced.