In the news today…
Media Alert:
- Thanks to Jacksonville Courier Journal (Ill.) and San Francisco Chronicle (Calif.) for carrying my op-ed where I argue that rather than race to dismantle more coal plants, the U.S. must recognize the essential utility of its remaining coal fleet as a reliability and affordability backstop.
Railway:
- Argus reports US President Joe Biden today called on Congress to pass legislation imposing a contract on railroads and labor unions that would avert a strike on December 9.
- New York Times reports that U.S. lawmakers hope to avert a looming national railroad workers’ strike that could halt coal shipments out of the Powder River Basin.
Grid:
- Utility Dive reports that a national laboratory says blockchain technology can be used to more quickly identify power grid security risks and patch them.
Permitting:
- Washington Examiner reports some environmentalists and their House allies who helped tank Sen. Joe Manchin’s campaign for “comprehensive” permitting reform in September have shifted their messaging to endorse some measure of reform — so long as it’s narrowly defined to exclude most of what Manchin wants.