Author Archives: Terry M. Jarrett

In the news today…

Coal:

• Reuters reports a hearing has been set so that the Labor Department can argue some of Blackjewel’s coal was produced illegally and should be prevented from being transported across state lines.
• The Messenger-Inquirer reports judge-executives from Kentucky’s coal-producing counties are lobbying state legislators into backing a proposal that would allow coal counties to receive 100% of their coal severance money.
• S&P Global reports Contura Energy signed a three-year deal to supply Appalachian coal to Kentucky utilities.
• The Albuquerque Journal reports state regulators declined on Wednesday to say whether they will apply New Mexico’s Energy Transition Act in proceedings to shut down the San Juan Generating Station.
• Wyoming Public Media reports Virginia businessman Tom Clarke appears to be the back-up bidder in Cloud Peak Energy’s asset sale.
• Crain’s Chicago Business reports Vistra’s closure of four power plants will take away 300 jobs.
• E&E Climatewire reports many of the nation’s largest coal plants remain without retirement dates, with plans to run for decades.
• The Associated Press reports U.S. Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg believes it is not too late for new technology to help the coal industry.

Electric Grid:

• E&E Energywire reports Texas is able to keep its power on due to its size and large production of natural gas.

Clean Water Rule:

• E&E Greenwire reports a federal judge found that the WOTUS rule was adopted on an overly broad interpretation of the federal statute.

EPA:

• E&E News PM reports EPA is backing off its 2016 decision to declare the area around a massive East Texas power plant out of compliance with its sulfur dioxide air quality standard.

In the news today…

Mining:

• E&E Greenwire reports the Minnesota Supreme Court declined to hear environmental groups’ challenge for additional review of the PolyMet copper-nickel mine.

Minerals:

• Mining.com reports lithium prices will remain low due to an onslaught of lithium supply, largely out of Australia.

Coal:

• E&E Greenwire reports a trio of Washington judges upheld the state’s decision to deny the lease of state-owned lands for the Millennium Bulk Terminal, which would have shipped Western coal to Asia.
• The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the number of coal jobs in Eastern Kentucky dropped significantly in the second quarter of 2019.
• InDepthNH reports climate activists took around 500 pounds of coal from the Merrimack Generating Station and dumped it in protest on the State House steps of New Hampshire.
• Utility Dive reports a New Mexico utility remains skeptical of the city of Farmington’s efforts to save a coal plant by installing carbon capture.
• The San Jose Mercury News reports California has five times more clean energy jobs than fossil fuel jobs.
• S&P Global and E&E Energywire report Vistra Energy will shut down four Illinois coal plants by the end of the year.
• Mining.com and Argus report Moody’s has lowered its 12-18 month outlook for North America’s coal industry to ‘negative’ from ‘stable’ amid declining profitability, weak export prices and diminishing demand from utilities.
• Mining.com reports BHP Group may consider selling off its thermal coal assets, according to an earnings call with CEO Andrew Mackenzie.

Electric Grid:

• Politico Pro reports the storage industry is downplaying its role with renewable energy sources to obtain tax breaks, stating the storage industry is there to support all forms of energy on the grid.

Department of the Interior:

• E&E Greenwire reports Joe Balash, assistant Interior secretary for land and minerals, will resign.
• E&E News PM reports environmental and animal welfare groups filed a lawsuit against the Interior Department over changes to how it would implement the Endangered Species Act.

In the news today…

Coal:

• E&E Energywire reports 538 gigawatts of coal capacity is either proposed or under construction worldwide.
• Politico Pro reports a split panel of judges from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to review an EPA memo reversing the longstanding “Once In, Always In’ air permitting policy, saying it lacks jurisdiction on the issue.
• Politico Pro reports Sen. Mitt Romney is ‘looking at’ a legislative proposal that would impose a carbon tax on major emitters and direct the proceeds to taxpayers and coal communities.
• Argus reports EPA released guidance to assist states in developing plans for the second phase of the agency’s Regional Haze Rule.
• Argus reports Illinois basin coal production fell in the second quarter as mine operators adjusted to limited domestic and international demand.
• NBC News reports individual coal workers are seeing their benefits and prospects dwindle while the mining companies reap the benefits of industry rollbacks from the Trump administration.

Blackjewel:

• The Hill reports presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders sent 18 pizzas to the Kentucky coal miners protesting unpaid wages.
• Argus reports Blackjewel will continue to halt coal sales from its Virginia assets until it resolves issues around unpaid wages.

Mining:

• Taos News reports the residents of Pecos, New Mexico are uniting against the proposed mine by New World Cobalt.
• The Arizona Public Media reports on the understanding behind the legal decision blocking the Rosemont Mine.

EPA:

• E&E Greenwire reports the four most cited cases for the action changing states’ ability to veto federal permits under the CWA are not indicative of most CWA veto cases.

Safety:

• Politico Pro and E&E News PM report monetary penalties issued by the Mine Safety and Health Administration fail to reduce the risk of worker injury and death, according to a new Labor Department inspector general report.

Electric Grid:

• The Roanoke Times (VA) carries an op-ed by Conor Bernstein in which he argues that costs for renewable energy is higher than expected due to high transmission costs and that America’s power grid is not currently equipped to handle large amounts of renewable energy.

World News:

• Politico Pro reports the Bavarian Association for Landscape Conservation and Species Protection is fighting wind power and supports efficient coal plants to ensure security of power supply in Germany.

In the news today…

Mining:

• E&E Greenwire reports the Abandoned Mine Land fund is running out of money before old mines can be cleaned up.
• The Arizona Daily Star reports a former Coronado National Forest chief says her boss forced her a decade ago to stop questioning the legality of the proposed Rosemont Mine.
• E&E Greenwire reports Twin Pines Minerals’ president has said he is confident his firm can mine land just east of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge without polluting the water or soil, despite concerns from a federal agency.
• The Associated Press reports county officials in Georgia are supporting a mining proposal near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
• E&E News PM reports Elizabeth Warren has pledged to stop all mining on federal lands, including the proposal from Twin Metals near the Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
• E&E Greenwire reports federal officials have approved two open-pit phosphate mines in eastern Idaho with increased environmental protections.

Coal:

• The Associated Press reports Sen. Mitt Romney recognizes climate change and proposes that portions of climate tax revenue could go to coal workers in rural communities that would suffer from a transition to clean energy.
• Inside EPA reports a new analysis shows that while the capacity of coal-fired power plants slated for closure is falling, the resulting greenhouse gas and other emissions cuts are expected to grow, underscoring Trump administration assessments that most GHG reductions will come from market-driven, business-as-usual scenarios.
• WRAL reports North Carolina would cap carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and accelerate the closure of coal-fired power plants under a draft plan released Friday by Gov. Roy Cooper.
• The Mining Journal reports the last coal combustion residual landfill at the Presque Isle Power Plant is being covered and shut down.
• Politico Pro reports EPA has sent a new proposal potentially weakening portions of a water pollution rule for coal-fired power plants to OMB.
• Argus reports BLM will auction a federal coal lease for land adjacent to CCU Coal and Construction’s Buckingham No. 6 mine in Ohio next month.
• E&E Energywire reports, by looking at utilities’ IRPs, estimates for future coal use and the speed of coal plant retirements can be made.
• The Houston Chronicle reports coal production in Texas fell sharply last year as coal plants were replaced with natural gas.

Direct CO2 Removal:

• Axios reports the payment tech company Stripe plans to fund direct removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and its long-term storage.

World News:

• E&E Climatewire reports Australia’s booming coal industry has made it the third-largest export of potential carbon dioxide emissions locked in fossil fuels.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Coal:

• WOSU reports an Ohio bill subsidizing nuclear and coal power plants cannot be overturned by a referendum as it is a tax increase, according to a Columbus law firm.
• E&E Energywire and the Farmington Daily Times reports Enchant Energy aims to retrofit the San Juan Generating Station with carbon capture technology and Friday signed a deal to try to keep the plant open beyond 2022.
• Bloomberg reports Navajo Transitional Energy Co. has won a bid to buy “substantially all” of Cloud Peak Energy Inc.’s assets.
• The New York Times reports the miners’ protests in Harlan County over unpaid wages have continued for three weeks.

Mining:

• E&E Greenwire reports EPA scientists wanted their agency to ask for a new environmental review of the proposed Pebble mine project but were overridden by political staffers.

Energy Policy:

• Argus reports the EPA has finalized 42 deregulatory actions since President Trump took office, about half of the agenda; rollbacks have saved industry an estimated $3.7 billion so far.
• E&E Climatewire reports the governor of Wisconsin has issued an executive order to create an office to achieve his goal of 100% carbon free electricity by 2050.

2020 Election:

• E&E Energywire reports many in West Virginia coal country remain loyal to President Trump even though he hasn’t been able to save coal in the area.

World News:

• The New York Times reports efforts by Gautam Adani, founder of Adani Group, is helping to keep India and Australia mining and using coal.

In the news today…

ACE Rule:

• Inside Sources reports that several businesses and utility groups are siding with EPA in a lawsuit to defend the ACE rule.
• E&E Energywire reports the multi-state challenge to the ACE rule this week highlighted key shifts in state views of federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.

Power Grid:

• Argus reports Texas’ main power grid operator issued an energy emergency for the second time this week.
• Bloomberg reports after the recent price surges in Texas, the state might need to invest in more traditional power plants.
• RTO Insider reports ERCOT declared an energy emergency alert Thursday afternoon, its second in three days after five years without calling one.

Coal:

• Politico Pro reports EPA held a hearing on Thursday on its proposed regulation formally reversing the so-called “once in, always in” policy.
• Mining.com reports prices for met coal, which has sustained miners as exports decline and power plants forsake the fuel, are down 22 percent since May as concerns about the global economy weigh on demand for steel.
• Argus reports Asian thermal coal markets are likely to remain oversupplied, potentially causing trouble for western U.S. exports.
• E&E Climatewire reports America’s largest emitters, such as the Navajo Generating Station, are closing in rapid succession.
• The Courier Journal reports Kentucky state lawmakers are sponsoring a bill to strengthen requirements for coal companies to hold bonds to cover a month of payroll.

Minerals:

• Mining Magazine reports Rio Tinto has led the first paperless trade deal of iron ore.
• Harrisburg Patriot-News carries an op-ed by Forrest Remick, emeritus nuclear engineering professor at Penn State and former member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who argues that reliance on imported uranium is a national security threat.

In the news today…

Minerals:

• Mining.com reports Northern Dynasty Minerals has raised $11.5 million for its Pebble copper-gold project in Alaska.

Coal:

• Politico Pro reports ten environmental groups sued EPA over its ACE rule, joining the states, cities, and public health organizations who have already filed suits.
• The Associated Press reports Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa blocked the state from suing the Trump administration over the ACE rule along with other states and cities.
• Wyoming Public Media reports the West Virginia court overseeing Blackjewel’s bankruptcy has authorized the end of 401(k) plans for all the company’s miners.
• The Casper Star Tribune reports Contura Energy has yet to complete its purchase of two Wyoming mines, and consequently has not yet reinstated the 500 jobs there.

Electric Grid:

• Utility Dive carries an op-ed by Harshit Chatur, director of finance at NRG Energy, entitled, “Why 100% renewables isn’t feasible by 2050,” in which he asks about the tipping point that reflects efficient utilization of renewables and fossil-based power in the U.S., while keeping the costs and pollution low and ensuring reliable power.
• S&P Global reports, despite the price surges in Texas, ERCOT is unlikely to increase conventional generation capacity.

Clean Water Act:

• Inside EPA reports the Army Corps of Engineers is outlining a narrow range of situations where it would allow states to take more than 60 days to review whether a Corps-issued permit would be protective of water quality standards, further curtailing states’ reviews under the Clean Water Act (CWA) after EPA issued a plan that significantly limits what issues states can weigh.

World News:

• Politico reports China is becoming the world’s largest investor in solar and wind technology and is boasting more jobs in solar energy than in coal-mining.

In the news today…

Electric Grid:

• Utility Dive reports that a heat wave across parts of Texas forced the state’s grid operator (ERCOT) to call an emergency on Tuesday and sent electricity prices soaring past $9,000/MWh. ERCOT officials had forecast a tight supply-demand balance heading into the summer, and in March said there was a growing chance it would need to utilize emergency alerts during times of high demand. NRG CEO Mauricio Gutierrez had argued those forecasts were too optimistic.

Coal:

• San Antonio Express-News reports San Antonio’s Southwest Research Institute landed a $3 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to design a cutting-edge coal power plant that would emit almost no carbon dioxide.
• The Torrington Telegram reports the Department of Energy is set to review Wyoming’s clean coal research efforts later this month, including a carbon capture project.
• The Economist reports Wyoming’s coal industry has a grim outlook and the residents echo it.
• Argus reports opponents of a new Ohio law providing subsidies for nuclear and coal power plants had their referendum rejected but still hope to get the measure on the November 2020 ballot.
• E&E Energywire and Bloomberg report Texas saw massive spikes in prices as the electric grid struggled under a heat wave; thousands of megawatts of coal-fired generation have been taken offline and could not be brought in to shoulder the load.
• The Associated Press reports heavy metals from coal ash have seeped into groundwater at a Duke Energy complex in Florida.

ACE Rule:

• Politico Pro, The New York Times, The Hill and E&E Greenwire report 22 states and seven cities sued the Trump administration over the implementation of the ACE rule, which overrides the Clean Power Plan.

Minerals:

• S&P Global reports there are numerous developers trying to make alternatives to the lithium-ion battery.
• E&E News PM reports a nonprofit start-up aims to restore streams along the Alaska-Yukon border through renewed mining.
• Mining.com reports the Electric Vehicle sector will need 250 percent more copper by 2030 just for charging stations.
• Mining.com reports Anglo American Platinum Ltd. wants to develop a lithium battery using platinum-group metals for use in electric vehicles.

Supreme Court:

• E&E Greenwire reports lawyers from Maui County are arguing that a narrow reading of the Clean Water Act is what Congress intended.

Climate:

• E&E Energywire reports a new battery that works from mixing fresh and salty water could offer emissions-free power to coastal wastewater treatment plants.
• E&E Climatewire reports India, a leading emitter, is now considering a plan to cut coal imports by a third.

In the news today…

Endangered Species Act:

• The Nevada Independent reports the Trump administration has revised the regulations on how to implement the Endangered Species Act.
• E&E Greenwire and Politico Pro report the Trump administration has announced changes to the Endangered Species Act to limit the law’s reach and states that environmentalists will challenge the changes.
• E&E News PM reports Democrats may use an obscure law to fight the Trump administration’s revisions to the Endangered Species Act.
• E&E News PM reports blues states and environmental groups plan to fight the Trump administration’s new Endangered Species Act regulations in court.

Coal:

• Yellowhammer and the Daily Mountain Eagle report Alabama Senate Majority Leader Greg Reed stated that the coal industry is making a comeback in the state.
• Argus reports EPA is clamping down on Democratic-led states efforts to block pipeline projects and coal export terminals.
• Time reports the protests by Blackjewel workers over unpaid wages now enters its third week.

Mining:

• CNN reports the EPA told staff scientists that it was no longer opposing the Pebble mining project just one day after President Trump met with Alaska’s governor.
• E&E Greenwire reports the Forest Service released the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Resolution Copper project in Arizona.

Mining Law:

• The Albuquerque Journal carries a negative op-ed opposed to the proposed mine of Comexico LLC in New Mexico and arguing in favor of changing the Mining Law of 1872.
• The Arizona Daily Star reports the legal ruling for the proposed Rosemont mine will have national ramifications, increasing permitting delays for new mines.

In the news today and from the weekend…

EPA:

• Inside EPA reports the US Chamber of Commerce, National Mining Association, and America’s Power are asking to intervene on EPA’s behalf to defend the ACE rule.
• Politico Pro, E&E Greenwire and Inside EPA report EPA has released its proposed rule aimed at limiting states’ ability to block infrastructure projects using authority under the CWA.

Coal:

• Wyoming Public Media reports Contura Energy may plan to keep the mines it bought back from Blackjewel open for up to only 12 months in order to lower reclamation costs.
• The Casper Star Tribune reports the Blackjewel mines have yet to reopen despite sale approval from a federal judge.
• Bloomberg reports the Trump administration is using a “hot goods” tactic to support protesting miners; the tactic seeks to freeze the movement of goods produced by workers who were shorted on pay.
• Argus reports unpaid royalties owed to the federal government may be an impediment to the sale of Blackjewel’s western assets to Contura.
• E&E Greenwire reports the Wyoming coal industry is on shaky ground, with Blackjewel only serving as a sign of greater issues in the industry.
• The Hawaii Business Magazine carries an article which explores Hawaii’s lingering coal use and questions whether efforts to phase coal out can be successful without reliability concerns.
• Bloomberg reports a Pennsylvania power plant that was the center of President Trump’s effort to revive the coal industry will be closing 19 months ahead of schedule.
• Argus and E&E Energywire report FirstEnergy Solutions will shut its 830MW coal-fired Bruce Mansfield power plan two years ahead of schedule.
• Argus reports Alliance Resource Partners will shut down its Dotiki coal mine in Kentucky on August 16 due to lackluster demand.
• The Associated Press reports the mining region of northeast Washington state is struggling as the region’s biggest employers shut down.
• The Guardian reports the coal industry is in decline and is not going to bounce back, and many are turning to the Green New Deal for answers.
• The Lexington Herald-Leader reports Cambrian Coal LLC plans to sell off its assets in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy case.

Mining:

• Inside EPA reports a Minnesota appeals court has stayed a CWA discharge permit for a PolyMet mine near Lake Superior while a state trial court determines whether it was unusual for state regulators to keep out of the public record EPA’s critical comments about the permit.
• E&E News PM reports an American Indian tribe in Idaho has sued a Canadian mining company proposing a new gold mine at a site with historical water pollution problems.
• The Wall Street Journal carries an op-ed which argues that ‘renewable’ energy sources require nonrenewable sources such as metals and minerals that make them less economically viable than fossil fuel choices.

Energy Policy:

• E&E Energywire and Bloomberg report FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee is hosting a conference for energy industry players on “significant issues we are all confronting at this transformative period in our energy and policy landscape”.

In the news today…

Coal:

• Bloomberg and E&E Energywire report the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has asked to intervene on behalf of EPA in the case to defend the ACE rule.
• Politico Pro reports the Department of Labor asked a federal judge to halt coal shipments by Blackjewel until the miners’ wages have been paid.
• CNN reports the Richard and Leslie Gilliam Foundation donated over $1 million to assist Blackjewel miners and their families.
• In These Times carries an interview with a coal miner protesting in Harlan County in which they discuss the possibility of a ‘just transition’ for coal miners.
• WFIE reports 49 counties and 122 cities and towns across Kentucky will share $15 million in excess coal severance tax revenues.
• Argus reports an interview with Emily Medine, a principal at US consultancy Energy Ventures Analysis, in which she argues that regulated returns on new generation assets often lead to premature coal plant retirements and higher power prices for ratepayers.

Minerals:

• Utility Dive reports concern with the use of lithium-ion batteries for large scale storage, with a possible turn towards battery substitutes for a larger deployment of storage.
• Mining.com reports battery producers and electric automakers are concerned over the long-term supplies of nickel.

Mining:

• The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports the court decision to uphold Minnesota’s nonferrous mining rule is a win for PolyMet.
• MPR News reports the Minnesota Court of Appeals has placed a stay on a key water quality permit for the PolyMet copper-nickel mine proposed in northeastern Minnesota.
• The Financial Times reports Glencore will halt production at the world’s largest cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo following falling prices in cobalt, a key battery metal.
• Mining.com reports the world’s biggest miners are backing different metals to chase the electric vehicle battery boom.

FERC:

• Politico Pro reports FERC Tuesday allowed short-term reforms to take effect in the New England electricity market that will assist power plants with on-site fuel supplies, such as coal.
• E&E Energywire reports updates to New England’s electricity market became effective because only two of the four members of FERC were able to vote on the matter.

Climate:

• E&E Climatewire reports Southeast Asia’s economic rise threatens global climate goals, largely due to coal use in the region.

In the news today…

Minerals:

• The Deseret News (UT) carries an op-ed from Gary Sandquist, a professor emeritus at the University of Utah, in which he argues that eroding U.S. uranium production is the latest sign that action is needed to boost use mineral production and address the nation’s alarming mineral import reliance.
• The Wall Street Journal reports Freeport-McMoRan’s CEO Richard Adkerson has taken on the challenge of the world’s largest sources of new copper and gold.
• The Marshall Independent carries an editorial which argues that increasing prices for copper are driving a revival of mining in Minnesota that will be dangerous to the environment.
• The Daily Signal carries an op-ed which argues that the decision to withdraw the preemptive veto of the Pebble Mine project is a win for the regulatory process.
• CBS3 Duluth reports the Minnesota Court of Appeals has rejected a challenge to the state’s nonferrous mining rules, in favor of PolyMet’s position.

Coal:

• The Journal reports residents are voicing environmental concern over the proposed expansion of the King II coal mine in Colorado.
• The Billings Gazette reports Colstrip Power Plant is still struggling to find cheap coal and retain employees; two of its four units will shut down this year.
• The Great Falls Tribune reports Montana may become a power importing state with the closure of Colstrip Power Plant.
• E&E Greenwire reports federal attorneys have demanded that Blackjewel pay its miners before a bankruptcy judge rules on the sale of the coal company’s mines.
• The Casper Star Tribune reports a federal judge did not render a final decision Monday on the sale of Blackjewel coal mines; the hearing reconvenes at 7 A.M. Mountain Time today.
• The Hill carries an op-ed which argues that former Vice President Joe Biden’s plan to eliminate fossil fuels is bad for our national security and economy.

EPA:

• Inside EPA reports the EPA is making several arguments against criticism on the ACE rule, including Obama-era legal interpretations that the agency has threshold power to regulate greenhouse gases.

WOTUS:

• The Hill reports two senators are pushing a bill to cement changes to the WOTUS rule, which could make the changes from the Obama-era WOTUS rule permanent.

FERC:

• Politico Pro reports FERC is at risk of politicization and could become a supporter of coal power plants through bailouts under current leadership.

World News:

• The Washington Examiner reports fossil fuels will continue to provide the majority of the world’s energy in 2040 according to projections released by Wood Mackenzie.
• Reuters reports Vietnam is considering importing coal from the U.S. to meet rising demand for the fuel for power generation.
• Reuters reports approvals for new coal mines in China have surged with consumption of coal expected to rise in the coming years.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Coal:

• Utility Dive carries an op-ed which argues that closing power plants, including coal power plants, can be more costly and riskier than opening them.
• The Washington Examiner reports the Joe Biden campaign has clarified Biden’s stance on fossil fuels; he will eliminate subsidies and deploy carbon capture and sequestration technology.
• E&E Greenwire reports miners who are protesting on the train tracks in Harlan County are criticizing Senator Mitch McConnell, saying he’s not pro-coal.
• CNN reports protesting miners in Harlan County call on President Trump to support their fight for payment.
• The Associated Press reports Contura Energy has successfully bid on the assets of three Blackjewel coal mines, subject to approval by a federal bankruptcy judge.
• Bloomberg reports Trump officials are still pushing to bail-out coal-fired power plants.

EPA:

• Inside EPA reports the EPA General Counsel is strongly defending the agency’s “bold” legal interpretation of its ACE rule.
• E&E Climatewire reports EPA’s ACE rule will be lambasted as a public health issue in court by environmental groups.
• E&E News PM reports the Trump administration will not craft a formal rule reinterpreting the scope of the Clean Water Act until after the Supreme Court weighs in on the issue in County of Maui v. Hawai’I Wildlife Fund.

Carbon Capture:

• NM Political Report reports Enchant Energy, the company that plans to turn the San Juan Generating Station into the world’s largest carbon capture system, addressed criticisms and proposed that carbon capture offers the cost-effective, low-emission solution to keep the coal-fired power plant open.

Carbon Pricing:

• E&E Energywire reports New York’s grid operator is preparing to ask the FERC to approve a carbon pricing plan.

Renewables:

• Powerline carries a post by John Hinderaker, in which he reports that wind energy is collapsing in Germany.

In the news today…

Coal:

• The Lexington Herald-Leader reports Blackjewel did not post a bond to cover the cost of paying its workers, as required by state law.
• WYMT reports former CEO of Blackjewel Jeff Hoops posted a letter to employees apologizing and explaining his side of the story for Blackjewel’s bankruptcy and promised half the money recovered would be distributed equally to employees harmed by the collapse of the company.
• Axios and the Washington Examiner report former Vice President Joe Biden suggested he would eliminate coal and natural gas in the debate, but his climate plan actually calls for use of carbon capture.
• The Casper Star Tribune reports Cloud Peak has requested to delay the auction and sales hearing of two Wyoming coal mines.
• E&E News PM reports the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association moved to intervene in litigation over the ACE rule.
• Mining.com reports Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sided with coal miners in Kentucky who are protesting due to lack of pay from Blackjewel.
• The Lexington Herald-Leader reports numerous politicians, including Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Amy McGrath, are supporting out-of-work Harlan County coal miners in their protests.
• Politico Pro, The Hill and Argus report EPA proposed changes to the New Source Review that would make it clear that power plant operators must use both projected emissions increases and decreases in the first step of determining whether planned major modifications will need a new permit.
• E&E Energywire reports the coal mining industry is challenging utilities to try and convince them that coal is a more reliable, cheaper option than renewables in order to keep coal units from closing.
• E&E Energywire reports a federal judge said he would not toss the Trump administration’s decision to restart federal coal leasing until BLM has a chance to complete its environmental review.
• S&P Global reports Arch Coal signed a three-year deal to supply at least 1.35 million st of Powder River Basin coal to Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities’ Trimble County Generation Station along the Ohio River.
• Kentucky Today reports Kentucky’s third coal mining fatality of the year occurred at the Paradise Mine in Central City.

Carbon Capture:

• The Farmington Daily Times reports PNM decided not to install carbon capture technology on the San Juan Generating Station because it was expensive and unproven, even though the city is trying to extend the life of the power plant through carbon capture.

World News:

• Axios reports solar costs have plummeted in South Asia and the Pacific, but coal is still king in the region.

In the news today…

Energy Prices:

• The Lansdale Reporter (PA), the Colorado Springs Gazette (CO) and the Delaware County Times (PA) carry an op-ed from Matthew Kandrach, president of Consumer Action for a Strong Economy (CASE), who argues that California’s mandates for renewable energy are driving up electricity prices.

Coal:

• The Gillette News Record reports disruptions in the energy sector in Wyoming could affect the growth of state tax revenues.
• The Associated Press reports a federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit aimed at shutting down a coal-fired power plant and adjacent mine near the Arizona-New Mexico border.
• S&P Global reports U.S. electric utilities will boost capital spending as the industry continues to shift away from coal and toward natural gas and renewable energy.
• Energy News Network reports PJM is proposing to open its long-range capacity market to energy storage projects, but only to batteries which can store power for 10 or more hours, which the industry says will weaken battery competition against peak fossil fuel plants.
• Argus reports Peabody Energy coal sales fell by 8.6 percent in the second quarter.
• E&E Energywire reports top attorneys for California and New Mexico have asked to get involved in a new lawsuit from industry groups to scrap the 2017 Valuation Rule.
• E&E Energywire reports West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has approved a tax break for a struggling coal-fired power plant.
• The Washington Post reports an auction is scheduled for today, Thursday, for the assets of bankrupt coal operator Blackjewel LLC.

EPA:

• E&E News PM reports former EPA staffer and coal advocate Christian Palich has been hired to the Interior Department as senior adviser at OSMRE.
• Inside EPA reports Democratic attorneys general are urging EPA to withdraw controversial guidance on how states can place water quality conditions on federally approved permits.

Election 2020:

• The Washington Post reports some Democratic presidential candidates are still accepting donations from fossil fuel sources even after pledging not to.

World News:

• Carbon Brief reports CO2 emissions in China may peak up to a decade earlier than the nation pledged under the Paris Agreement, according to a new study.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Coal:

• The Farmington Daily Times reports a community advisory group will develop a plan for investing funds to help the transition from coal to other energy sources that were made available through the Energy Transition Act.
• E&E Energywire reports county commissioners in northwestern New Mexico and a water utility that serves the state’s largest metro area want to intervene in a regulatory case over the upcoming closure of the San Juan Generating Station.
• The Washington Examiner reports coal plants are continuing to retire at a rapid pace, according to the Energy Information Administration.
• EIA reports more U.S. coal-fired power plants are decommissioning as retirements continue.
• E&E Energywire reports the new Ohio law which subsidizes nuclear and power plants had backing from Republicans tied to the White House and the coal industry, despite being advertised as a bill to support zero-carbon energy.
• E&E Energywire reports environmental advocates are rallying behind an Obama-era rule for calculating oil, gas and coal royalty payments as the measure faces renewed legal challenges.
• GOOD Magazine reports coal miners criticize Sen. Mitch McConnell over his two minute meeting with miners who traveled to the Capitol to discuss black lung issues.

Emissions:

• E&E Energywire reports New Jersey power company Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. declared a “vision” of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, if public policy and technology advance.
• CNN Business reports PSEG is pledging to slash carbon emissions by 80% by 2046, compared with 2005 levels, and plans to get to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Minerals:

• Greentech Media reports investments in mining to support key materials for batteries could come too late to meet rising demand.
• The Wall Street Journal reports former Idaho Governor C.L. Butch Otter is challenging Jervois’s acquisition of an Idaho cobalt mine as he wants an investigation into possible hidden Chinese links.
• E&E Greenwire reports Pebble mine investors received a heads-up on an EPA memo scrapping the Bristol Bay veto.

Energy:

• The Navajo Times reports the Navajo Nation still has no plan for the transition to renewable energy for when the Navajo Generating Station and Kayenta mine close this November.
• The Washington Examiner reports Rep. Rooney and Rep. Lipinski introduced and co-sponsored two carbon tax bills, and other lawmakers are putting forward carbon taxes of their own.
• E&E Daily reports three Senate Democrats introduced a proposal to set a nationwide energy efficiency standard that could save consumers billions of dollars while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Election 2020:

• E&E Energywire reports coal magnate Bob Murray is raising money for President Trump’s reelection in hopes the efforts can revive the coal industry and fix FERC.
• The New York Times carries an op-ed by Lee Wasserman, director of the Rockefeller Family Fund, who argues that candidates need to be judged on whether they will decrease fossil fuel extraction.