Monthly Archives: May 2022

I hope everyone had a restful Memorial Day Holiday weekend.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Carbon Capture and Sequestration:

• E&E Energy Wire reports that lobbying firm Bracewell lobbying firm has launched a pro-CCS group in anticipation of an explosion of funding for the technology.

Grid:

• Politico Pro reports this summer’s anticipated tight grid conditions are just the tip of the iceberg as weather grows increasingly unpredictable and the U.S. aims to electrify more high-emitting sectors of the economy.
• WBUR reports that the New England grid operator’s much-derided minimum offer price rule will stay in effect for two more years, federal officials decide.
• Associated Press reports that Nevada conservationists and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe urge federal officials to reroute the proposed GreenlinkWest transmission line to avoid disturbing public land and cultural resources.
  

Minerals:

• E&E Greenwire reports EPA’s veto of Pebble won’t stop other mining in Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

In the news today…

Grid:

• Associated Press reports that the Bureau of Land Management has approved a 416-mile transmission line that would carry Wyoming wind power to Utah.
• Utility Dive reports that grid operator MISO filed a proposal with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that would allow incumbent utilities to build certain transmission projects without competition and facilitate a $10.4 billion long-term transmission plan.

Coal:

• Politico Pro reports New York lawmakers are proposing a bill to collect $30 billion from fossil fuel companies as recompense for the climate damages caused by their products, the first bill of its kind in the U.S.

Minerals:

• Mining.com reports from Bloomberg that lithium, the wonder metal at the heart of the global shift to electric cars, is in a full-blown crisis.

Mining:

• E&E Daily reports Alaska’s two Republican senators came out against EPA’s proposed veto of the Pebble copper and gold mine near Bristol Bay even though they oppose the project’s development.

In the news today…

Electric Vehicles:

• Quartz reports that investments in electric vehicle and battery manufacturing are far outpacing investments in mining, with experts blaming permitting complications and EV companies’ failure to understand the depth of lithium demand.

Coal:

• Bloomberg Government reports coal miners sickened by black-lung disease need renewal of an income stream to help fund their disability benefits. Sen. Joe Manchin, a pivotal figure in the Biden administration’s contentious budget plans, is under pressure to deliver.

Minerals:

• E&E Energywire reports a group of automakers, battery manufacturers and lithium producers today announced the launch of a group aimed at shoring up the U.S. battery supply chain.
• E&E Daily reports a House Natural Resources hearing yesterday illustrated the tightrope Democrats are walking on when it comes to mining, with lawmakers calling for more resource extraction for the clean energy economy but moving to block one Minnesota project.
• Axios reports auto giants are joining with battery companies, EV startups and lithium producers in a new coalition seeking stronger federal support for building a large U.S. battery supply chain.

Mining:

• E&E Greenwire reports EPA today proposed a new veto of the Pebble mine in Alaska under the Clean Water Act, a rare move that would create permanent environmental protections for Bristol Bay fisheries.

World News:

• Mining.com reports permitting processes in Canada will need to be streamlined to match rising demand for minerals.

In the news today…

Grid:

• Wisconsin State Journal reports that utilities building the controversial Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line through southwestern Wisconsin say supply chain issues and ongoing litigation have added nearly $50 million to the project cost.
• Michigan Radio reports that Consumers Energy plans to spend $100 million to upgrade its electric distribution system in Michigan as it expects more severe weather in the coming years.

Mining:

• E&E News PM reports the Biden administration has unveiled guidance for states and some Indigenous communities seeking to tap $725 million in grant funding to clean up abandoned coal mine sites.

Coal:

• Ohio Valley ReSource reports labor shortages and reluctance by operators to invest in greater production prevents Appalachia’s coal industry from fully revving up amid a spike in global coal demand and prices.
• E&E Daily reports Sen. Joe Manchin continues to envision legislation advancing this year to tackle inflation, drug pricing and climate change — but with an emphasis on fossil fuels.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Grid:

• Utility Dive reports that Federal Energy Regulatory Commission members debate whether climate change or renewable power is more to blame for this summer’s predicted high risks for power outages in much of the country.
• E&E News reports that the U.S. Energy Department seeks an unprecedented expansion of high-voltage electricity transmission lines to carry clean power by prioritizing shovel-ready projects and seeking state support for interregional connections.

Mining:

• E&E Greenwire reports a champion of climate change rules nominated to lead EPA’s air office has picked up support from an unlikely group that often opposes efforts to transition away from traditional fuel sources — coal miners.
• E&E Greenwire reports conservation and Indigenous rights organizations are urging the Biden administration to impose binding environmental and human rights standards on mining companies that receive subsidies under a revived Cold War-era program.
• E&E News PM reports Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is proposing to protect parts of Colorado’s Gunnison Basin from new mining and oil and gas development.

Minerals:

• Protocol reports minerals are getting very expensive.

In the news today…

Mining:

• Reuters, U.S. News and World Report, and Regina Leader-Post report U.S. coal producers are seeking to boost exports to cash in on soaring prices since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but face big headwinds including shipping bottlenecks, labor shortages, and a dismal long-term outlook discouraging investments in new mines.
• Wall Street Journal reports the cost of proposed rules on climate disclosure is emerging as a key battleground as businesses and politicians fight over a plan to require companies to tally their impact on the environment and the risks they face from climate change.
• The Daily Caller reports the Biden administration asked Congress to allow the Department of Defense (DoD) to fund foreign critical mineral facilities in the annual defense spending bill.

Coal:

• Argus reports coal-fired generation in the PJM Interconnection rose in April from year-earlier levels as natural gas power and nuclear energy declined.

Minerals:

• Washington Post carries an op-ed from Bloomberg which argues Elon Musk has a suggestion for entrepreneurs: Get into lithium mining for juicy margins. It’s a pithy recommendation, but it fails to grasp the complicated challenges for producing more of the metal.
• Washington Post reports in late February, as most people were focusing on the war in Ukraine, the White House published over 1,300 pages of reports from a year-long and unprecedented investigation into the economic vulnerabilities caused by global supply chains.
• E&E Daily reports a bipartisan group of senators advanced legislation worth nearly $40 billion yesterday in response to the war in Ukraine, including money to support the war-torn country’s energy sector and help secure U.S. mineral supplies.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Mining:

• Politico Pro reports Rep. Raúl Grijalva’s (D-Ariz.) bill to overhaul the nation’s 150-year-old law governing hardrock mining on federal lands got its first hearing in a House subcommittee Thursday, and opposition is coalescing.
• E&E Daily reports momentum is building toward a potential deal to reform the nation’s mining law, but a House hearing made evident that progressives aren’t the ones driving that discussion.
• E&E Greenwire reports a federal appeals court affirmed a 2019 ruling that axed a key approval for a $1.9 billion proposed Arizona copper mine and ignited debate over U.S. mining law.
• AP reports a new mining boom in Oregon threatens sage grouse.
• E&E Daily reports Senators Manchin and Murkowski are pressing the administration for updates on several mining programs.

Natural Gas:

• Politico Pro reports soaring natural gas prices are becoming a political nightmare for the Biden administration.

Climate:

• Powerline reports that global temperatures are decreasing as CO2 decreases in the atmosphere.

In the news today…

Coal:

• The Hill reports West Virginia coal miners on Thursday launched a campaign urging Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to support a Democratic budget reconciliation bill that would extend funding for black lung patients.
• E&E Daily reports coal miners and their allies want West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin to work harder at resurrecting an industry tax to help workers suffering from black lung disease.

Land:

• Washington Examiner reports Republican Utahns in Congress are accusing Biden of misrepresenting support for his decision to add back lands covered by the Bears Ears National Monument, which former President Donald Trump had cut.

Grid:

• Utility Dive reports that grid operator PJM issued a new report meant to act as a planning roadmap as fossil fuel plants come offline and renewable energy and storage ramps up.

In the news today…

Mining:

• The White House released a statement on its IWG on Mining Law.
• E&E Daily reports the White House earlier this week hosted a mining policy summit with industry executives, environmentalists and representatives from tribes and labor unions, according to a summary released late yesterday evening.
• Reuters reports the U.S. Department of Defense has asked Congress to let it fund facilities in the United Kingdom and Australia that process strategic minerals used to make electric vehicles and weapons, calling the proposal crucial to national defense.
• E&E News PM reports California Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman today stood outside the Capitol to call on President Joe Biden’s EPA to quickly veto the Pebble mine in Alaska.

Infrastructure:

• Washington Examiner reports the White House is making moves intended to speed up environmental reviews and permitting for infrastructure projects under pressure from industry and lawmakers in both parties to enable faster approvals.

Grid:

• Reuters reports that U.S. clean energy advancements in recent years could be derailed without a massive investment in transmission and grid infrastructure.

In the news today…

Mining Law:

• The Washington Post reports prominent congressional Democrats are pushing to update the nation’s 150-year-old mining law, as President Biden seeks to spur the production of critical minerals used in electric vehicle batteries and other green technologies.
• Daily Caller reports several top Democrats doubled down on an effort Tuesday to reform a centuries-old mining law, introducing restrictions on future U.S. mining projects.
• E&E Daily reports congressional Democrats rallied outside the Capitol yesterday in support of a progressive mining reform bill scheduled for a hearing this week.
• Politico Pro reports a trio of Democratic lawmakers urged their colleagues on Tuesday to overhaul the statute governing the nation’s mining industry on the 150th anniversary of President Ulysses S. Grant signing the General Mining Law of 1872.

Coal:

• S&P Global reports U.S. coal miners, eager to sell into a reinvigorated market, are struggling to move their product as train lines tangle with a severe labor shortage.
• E&E Daily reports Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet will introduce a novel proposal to help fossil fuel communities upended by the energy transition.

Mining:

• Mining.com reports Tesla is open to buying a mining company if producing its own supply of electric vehicle (EV) metals would speed up worldwide adoption of clean energy technologies, Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said on Tuesday.
• Reuters carries an op-ed which argues mining is probably the most vital sector to the global energy transition and the success of the much-vaunted net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 targets, but it’s currently the laggard in the process.
• E&E Daily reports congressional Republicans have barreled headlong into a dispute between commissioners at the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, as documents suggest deeper troubles at the agency.

Minerals:

• Washington Examiner reports another automaker is warning that an inadequate battery supply chain will threaten manufacturers’ viability in the coming years as they build more electric vehicles.
• E&E Daily reports the House backed a $40 billion Ukrainian aid package last night that contains hundreds of millions for critical minerals production and support for that country’s nuclear regulators.

In the news today…

Minerals:

• Nebraska Examiner (Neb.) carries an op-ed by Barry Butterfield, a civil engineer who worked in the public and private sector for over 40 years, in which he argues we must make a major push to create new uranium mines and reopen old mines that have been closed, such as Crow Butte.
• Washington Examiner carries an op-ed by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito in which she argues the United States has a permitting problem.
• E&E News PM reports an Obama-era Interior Department official has registered to lobby for the developer of a proposed lithium and boron mine in Nevada.

Mining Law:

• The Hill carries an op-ed which argues as critical mineral demand rises to power technologies like electric cars, trucks and buses that help us move toward a 100 percent clean grid, we must also make sure that the way we extract these resources is sustainable, ethical and pro-worker, as well as abides by environmental and human rights laws.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Mining Law:

• E&E Daily reports a House Natural Resources subcommittee will consider legislation backed by progressive Democrats to overhaul the nation’s mining laws as the administration looks to boost domestic production of minerals critical to the green economy.

Mining:

• Inside Sources reports President Joe Biden has made two commitments on green energy. One is to dramatically increase the use of green tech like electric vehicles (EVs), windmills and solar power. The other is to build that new tech here in America.
• E&E Greenwire reports a global water crisis — extreme drought, waning water supplies and tightening regulatory oversight — is putting billions of dollars’ worth of assets in the mining, oil and gas, and utility sectors at risk as climate change accelerates, according to a first-of-a-kind analysis.

Minerals:

• Bloomberg and the Washington Post carry an op-ed which argues the future of U.S.-made electric-vehicle batteries might be found in a modest white shed in Tamarack, Minnesota, population 104.
• Reuters reports U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Thursday that the United States was working on a strategy to ensure steady uranium supply and that the country should not be sending any more money to Russia for the nuclear reactor fuel.

Grid:

• Wall Street Journal reports that energy shortages are growing across the U.S. because electricity supplies aren’t keeping up with demand amid transition to cleaner forms of energy.

In the news today…

Mining:

• North of 60 Mining News reports on the history of the General Mining Law.
• E&E Daily reports Democrats and Republicans alike say now could be the time to overhaul the 150-year-old federal law governing mining, but finding enough common ground to strike a deal will prove challenging.
• The Hill carries an op-ed which argues that passing the Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act of 2022 gives us the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the fossil fuel industry, protect the environment and at-risk communities, as well as develop a sustainable economy once and for all.

Minerals:

• E&E News PM reports without safeguards put in place by the U.S. government, President Biden’s recent order freeing up federal funds for mining-related projects could potentially wind up fueling human rights abuses and environmental destruction overseas, an international nonprofit group warned White House officials last month.

SEC:

• Roll Call reports Republican lawmakers and scholars are ratcheting up their arguments that the Securities and Exchange Commission lacks the statutory authority to require public companies to disclose climate-related financial risks.

In the news today…

Coal:

• Politico Pro reports a major Indiana utility is delaying the planned shutdown of a coal-fired power plant until 2025, citing “uncertainty and delays” in the solar panel industry triggered by the Department of Commerce’s investigation into solar module imports.
• E&E Energywire reports Indiana utility Northern Indiana Public Service Co. said it will delay retirement of its largest coal-fired power plant by two years because a Commerce Department investigation is leading to supply chain uncertainty for solar projects needed as a replacement energy source.
• Argus reports US thermal coal exports declined from a relatively high year-earlier level for a second consecutive month in March.

Energy:

• Washington Post reports the energy meeting on Monday night led by Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) attracted seven Democrats and four Republicans, who discussed the possibility of crafting a bipartisan energy package that includes provisions to reform the permitting process, tax polluting imports, and spur more mining for critical minerals, according to attendees.

World News:

• Washington Examiner reports India announced this week that it is boosting its coal production to record highs, seeking to secure supplies and counteract the adverse effects of a nationwide fuel shortage, which has strained its power supply and touched off rolling blackouts during a blistering heatwave.

In the news today…

Mining:

• E&E Daily reports three ambitious public lands bills with broad local support failed to advance yesterday as Senate Republicans sent a clear message to their Democratic colleagues that they will strongly oppose legislation that bans energy development and mining on federal land.

Minerals:

• E&E Greenwire reports North Dakota is challenging the federal government’s awarding of lucrative mineral rights under a Missouri River reservoir to the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, otherwise known as the Three Affiliated Tribes.

Coal:

• Argus reports US coking coal mining company Warrior will relaunch its Blue Creek project in Alabama this year, with expected output of roughly 4.8mn short tons/yr (4.35mn t/yr) of high-volatile A coking coal over its first decade of operation from mid-2026 onwards.
• Argus reports operational and transportation issues at Consol Energy eased last quarter, setting up the Northern Appalachian coal producer for stable shipments this year.