In the news today…
Grid:
- Energy News Network reports a booming northern Virginia county tries to cut greenhouse gas emissions while grabbing a piece of the region’s booming but energy-intensive data center industry, which Dominion Energy is accommodating with a grid buildout while activists push to preserve green space.
Mining:
- Mining.com reports years of neglecting its critical metal supplies is finally catching up with the United States, whose government now realizes it must invest heavily in mining and manufacturing, as demand for the raw materials needed to build a new green economy that rejects fossil fuels gears up.
- E&E News PM reports a Minnesota mining firm sued the Biden administration for canceling key leases for a proposed copper and nickel mine near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Coal:
- Casper Star Tribune reports back-to-back court rulings restricting new federal coal leasing this month have prompted anxiety among mining companies — and hope from climate advocates — that the reign of the Powder River Basin may be nearing its end.
- E&E Climatewire reports America’s coal industry has been in steady decline over the last decade, as natural gas, renewables and energy efficiency combined to replace the carbon dioxide-intense fuel and drive greenhouse gas emissions lower.
Minerals:
- E&E News PM reports Alaska’s two senators made an outward plea for the Biden administration to make it easier to mine in Alaska, amid a rush for minerals related to low-carbon products.