Author Archives: Terry M. Jarrett

Good Friday morning!

I’ve been out of pocket for a few days, so I haven’t been able to post. It’s good to be back online!

In the news today…

Coal:

• The Columbus Dispatch reports an advisory board which oversees Ohio’s coal-mining reclamation fund will look into a reinsurance policy to help shoulder the financial burden should one of the largest permit holders abandon its mine.
• Public News Service reports the RECLAIM Act will give coal communities $1 billion to clean up abandoned mines and boost local economies.
• Utility Dive reports the Sierra Club wants Arkansas regulators to direct SWEPCO to update and refile its IRP to include an economic analysis of shuttering the Dolet Hills coal plant.
• InsideEPA reports Republicans see no advantage to a coal visit with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; the previously offered invitation was taken back by Rep. Andy Barr.
• The Hill and Grist report the Mueller report reveals Russian social media accounts targeted U.S. division over the coal industry as part of its effort to sway the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
• Bloomberg reports global coal markets are up but American miners are still losing due to the competition with natural gas in the U.S.
• The Indianapolis Star reports former U.S. EPA head Scott Pruitt has registered as an energy lobbyist in Indiana as fossil fuel companies seek to block the planned closure of coal plants.
• MiBiz reports a proposed settlement between Consumers Energy and environmental groups would move up the closure of a large coal plant in Michigan.
• Argus reports environmental groups are suing the Interior Department in hopes of blocking Alton Coal Development from expanding its coal mine in Utah.

EPA:

• E&E News PM reports a coalition of 21 attorneys general submitted comments urging EPA not to withdraw the legal justification for its limits on power plant mercury emissions.
• InsideEPA reports a former EPA air chief warns environmentalists and Democratic states that they lack legal standing to challenge the rollback on MATS because they cannot show any injury from undoing the finding.

Thanks to The Capital Times for carrying my new op-ed in which I explain that Wisconsin’s new clean energy plan is not feasible as it will drive costs exponentially high and negatively impact grid reliability.

In the news today…

Coal:

• The Indianapolis Star reports Energy Policy Network is fighting to keep coal plants open across state lines.
• Argus reports the Illinois Department of Natural Resources approved a mining permit for Hallador Energy subsidiary Sunrise Coal’s proposed Bulldog coal mine.
• Argus reports US thermal coal producer B&W Resources plans to open a new mine in Kentucky in coming weeks.
• Argus reports the Western Coal Traffic League is trying to force the US Surface Transportation Board to act on a long-pending review of an index used to measure diesel fuel costs.
• The Washington Examiner reports the Global Energy Institute launched polling that found, among other things, that a majority of Americans prefer investments in new innovative energy technologies to mandates like those in the Green New Deal and that 79 percent of voters support President Trump’s executive order from Wednesday concerning states’ ability to oppose energy infrastructure.
• The Casper Star Tribune reports according to Moody’s Investor Service, the Powder River Basin’s coal production will continue to decline.
• The Augusta Free Press and Argus report bipartisan legislation to revitalize coal country by giving communities the funds they need to clean up abandoned mine lands, the RECLAIM Act, was introduced Tuesday.

Mining:

• Reuters reports Rio Tinto will join a World Bank initiative intended to help developing countries sustainably mine lithium, cobalt and other minerals critical to the global electrification trend.
• PoliticoPro reports two mining companies, Ur-Energy USA and Energy Fuels Resources, have contended that the imports are pushing U.S. uranium production to the brink of collapse, potentially creating a national security risk that would undermine the military.

EPA:

• InsideEPA reports state regulators say EPA’s proposed Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction rule will leave them with uncertain and potentially costly burdens to regulate water bodies that the rule would leave to state discretion, including dealing with losses in federal funding and duplicating federal programs that would be cut back under a narrow reading of the CWA.

White House:

• The Washington Examiner reports President Trump’s executive order restricting states’ rights is counter to previous policies allowing states to determine the curbing of greenhouse gases.
• The Washington Post reports President Trump’s executive orders concerning the Clean Water Act want to cut the states out in order to build more pipelines.

Department of the Interior:

• PoliticoPro, The Hill and the Washington Examiner report the Senate confirmed David Bernhardt to serve as Secretary of the Interior.

In the news today…

Coal:

• McClatchy reports on Tuesday’s hearing, which centered on a proposed ban on mountaintop removal mining until a health study can be conducted. Opponents to the ban warned that coal production across Appalachia could be shuttered by such action.
• Washington Examiner reports coal-fired plants kept electricity on during cold snaps, but also argues that all power supplies are stretched by extreme cold and suggests the answer is to increase transmission lines across states.
• Utility Dive reports three coal-related bills passed in Montana, from setting wages at plants through the end of generation activity to transition aids to providing low-interest loans for coal-fired generation.
• The Champaign News-Gazette reports Sunrise Coal is one permit closer to opening the Bulldog Mine in eastern Illinois. Sunrise Coal still requires a permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Mining:

• E&E Greenwire provides a background of ‘Mine 9’, the upcoming movie about coal miners trapped in an Appalachian mine.

Clean Water Act:

• InsideEPA reports President Trump will issue an executive order to have EPA “review and update” its policies governing state reviews of federal projects under section 401 of the Clean Water Act with the aim to reduce delays in permitting and development of energy infrastructure projects.
• E&E Daily reports Republican senators reintroduced a bill which limit the time states have to review Clean Water Act permits and limit states’ ability to block Clean Water Act permits.
• PoliticoPro reports President Trump aims to curtail states’ power to block new energy projects under the Clean Water Act.
• The Wall Street Journal reports Trump will sign two executive orders aimed at blunting the ability of environmental activists and state regulators to use the Clean Water Act to obstruct energy projects.

Carbon Capture and Storage:

• InsideEPA reports the Trump administration is planning to support carbon capture and storage more widely as an alternative to policies which cut greenhouse gas emissions.

World News:

• The New York Times reports the state of affairs in the Jiu Valley of Romania, once a thriving coal town.
• Utility Dive reports worldwide energy demand surged last year, with natural gas accounting for 45% of the rise and renewables increasing by 4% to a total of 25% of global output for 2018. Coal’s overall place has declined but demand for coal has risen slightly for two years.
• The Wall Street Journal reports on China’s dependence on coal and air quality concerns.

In the news today…

Coal:

• Marketplace reports Murray Energy is currently in federal court in a case centered on rights concerning reporting safety problems in mines due to comments by their CEO, Bob Murray.
• RenewEconomy reports Hawaiian Electric is preparing for the end of fossil fuels on the islands by beginning its second phase of its renewable energy resource procurement plan centered on solar power. The plan is to retire fossil fuel plants on Maui and Oahu in the next five years.
• Billings Gazette reports Montana House lawmakers heard the first arguments on Monday about a plan committing NorthWestern Energy customers to paying the utility $75 million as it looks to buy the Colstrip Power Plant.
• The Missoulian carries an editorial in which the author argues that attempts to save Colstrip should be abandoned as “coal power has been eclipsed in every way by solar, wind, hydro and cheap natural gas.”
• The Biloxi Sun Herald reports Rep. John Yarmouth is reviving a study previously scrapped by the Trump administration and attempting to halt all new mountaintop coal removal mining permits until the potential health effects can be assessed.

Carbon Capture:

• McClatchy reports the White House will begin promoting carbon capture and storage technology.
• E&E Daily reports Rep. Kathy Castor, chairwoman of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, hasn’t ruled out nuclear power or carbon capture technology as potential climate solutions, calling for a “balance”.

Mining:

• E&E Daily reports lawmakers have introduced a string of new legislation, including measures to streamline permitting and introduce funds to research ways of extracting rare earth metals from coal and coal byproducts.
• WVNews reports the opening of Mine 9, a movie about a coal mine entrapment, opening Friday in select states. It will open nationwide starting next week.
• The State Journal reports on the 2019 West Virginia Mine Drainage Task Force Symposium, which was attended by hundreds of mining specialists and included a presentation on the extraction of rare earth elements.
• WDIO reports Michigan Technological University will be bringing back a mining engineering program, a department whose roots go back to the 1800s.

World News:

• E&E Climatewire reports young German activists have staged weekly “school strikes” to demand more ambitious plans for curbing greenhouse gas emissions, including moving forward the timeline for Germany to phase out coal-fired power plants.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Coal:

• Bloomberg and E&E Daily report Rep. John Yarmuth is again introducing a bill to stop new or expanded mountaintop removal coal mining until the Department of Health and Human Services studies its impact on human health. The hearing will be held tomorrow.
• WTVQ reports Quest Energy is opening two coal mines in Pike County, Kentucky.
• Utility Dive reports Indiana has advanced a bill that would pause utility procurement of new generation resources in a bid to save coal power plants.
• Argus reports West Virginia coal producers are being hurt by limited access to export terminals.
• E&E Climatewire and NPR report the Navajo Nation has a long history with coal but is now moving away from it as its last coal power plants are on the verge of closing.
• WRAL reports Arizona’s largest electricity utility plans to test whether a coal-fired plant can instead be fueled by wood chips.
• The Casper Star Tribune reports Wyoming coal is likely declining faster than had been expected.
• The Hill carries an op-ed stating protecting coal or nuclear plants with further subsidies will generate no public benefit and should be abandoned.

Carbon Technology:

• PoliticoPro and The Hill report a bipartisan group of senators asked the Appropriations Committee to include the “highest possible levels” of funding for carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies.
• The Washington Post reports three major fossil fuel firms have invested in a startup that’s developing technology to remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Minerals:

• The Washington Post and Reuters report U.S. officials will meet with auto and lithium mining executives next month as the government works toward a national electric vehicle supply chain strategy.
• PoliticoPro reports a bipartisan group of senators re-introduced the “Rare Earth Element Advanced Coal Technologies Act” to allow for the development of technology capable of extracting rare earth elements from coal and coal byproducts.
• High Country News reports increasing demand for copper used in electric vehicle batteries is driving a mining resurgence in Nevada, including through foreign investors such as Russia.

EPA:

• PoliticoPro reports the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has again given the Trump administration more time to finish repealing and replacing the Clean Power Plan; the EPA will have well into the summer to produce a rule.

Mining:

• The Times Leader reports a Pennsylvania reclamation project to convert former coal mining sites into warehouses.

World News:

• Axios reports Former Secretary of State John Kerry’s new initiative to get Vietnam off of coal power. Coal became the country’s biggest electricity source in 2018.
• Axios reports Asia is turning to coal in its rapid electricity growth.

In the news today…

Coal:

• Utility Dive reports Arizona Public Service (APS) is studying the feasibility of generating power by burning forest biomass at one of its coal units in order to reduce wildfire potential.
• E&E Energywire reports industry CEOs’ inclinations to move away from coal and into green energy.
• E&E Greenwire reports metallurgical coal mines is the new impetus in the coal industry, but also warns that met coal has been a risky bet in the past.
• Argus reports the East Kentucky Power Cooperative expects demand for its electricity to increase through 2033, but coal-fired generation and consumption will mostly decline.
• Argus reports Contura Energy lowered its 2019 export expectations as seaborne prices continue to slide.
• Argus reports White Stallion Energy’s Eagle River Coal affiliate has applied for a permit to expand its No. 1 mine in Illinois.
• Bloomberg reports Royal Dutch Shell Plc agreed to sell LNG to a Japanese utility at prices that include a link to coal in a risk management strategy designed to compete with coal-fired generation in the home market.
• Argus reports Appalachian natural gas growth is coming to an end which could ease some competition with coal.
• IPR reports the Presque Isle Power Plant in Marquette, Michigan will be replaced by natural gas plants.

Minerals:

• E&E Energywire reports a growing demand for a rare earth mineral, neodymium, in the wind industry. The mineral is almost exclusively produced in China, but some researchers would like to turn to recycling the mineral over mining it.

Green Real Deal:

• The Hill reports Rep. Matt Gaetz has revealed a conservative re-imagining of the Green New Deal dubbed the Green Real Deal, which focuses on climate change as a national security threat.

Energy:

• PoliticoPro reports the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Thursday voted to send David Bernhardt’s nomination to lead the Interior Department on to the floor.

World News:

• The New York Times reports more than 40 governments worldwide have adopted some sort of price on carbon, with results mostly contributing to a reduction in coal use.
• The Financial Times reports a bull market globally for copper ahead of the industry summit in Santiago next week.

In the news today…

Coal:

• NPR reports some lawmakers are stepping in to try and slow the shift away from coal with new legislation to aid in the selling of power plants instead of decommissioning them.
• Engadget reports, while renewable energy is on the rise, demand for natural gas and coal has grown; natural gas and coal accounted for nearly 70 percent of additional growth for the second year running in 2018.
• E&E Energywire reports the Indiana House utilities committee approved a bill that would establish a moratorium on regulatory approval of a power plant or power contracts greater than 250 megawatts until January 2021 in an attempt to boost coal.
• E&E Daily reports a bill banning mountaintop-removal coal mining re-emerged Wednesday ahead of a House hearing next week on the method’s connections to cancer and other illnesses in surrounding communities.
• WVNews reports Gov. Jim Justice signed three bills intended to benefit the state’s coal industry by reducing the state’s severance tax on thermal and steam coal, creating a tax rebate for mining investments and addressing various safety regulations and abandoned mines.
• Bloomberg reports at least one mining company, Contura Energy Inc., hasn’t been swayed by tax incentives to open new mining operations in West Virginia.
• Utility Dive reports a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit that sought to force state water agency Central Arizona Project to buy the Navajo Generating Station.
• The Billings Gazette reports Montana’s Rep. Greg Gianforte accused Washing Gov. Jay Inslee of killing the Colstrip power plant at a House Energy Committee hearing among other damages done to the coal industry of Montana.

Energy:

• Greentech Media reports Idaho Power’s intentions to transition to 100 percent clean energy by 2045, accompanied by low prices in the solar industry and declining stakes in coal.

EPA:

• The Hill carries an opinion piece which argues the Trump administration’s EPA proposal to weaken MATS distorts the cost-benefit analysis in order to make MATS look too expensive and to skew the cost-benefit analysis used for setting many regulatory standards.

World News:

• Reuters reports Germany will provide 20 million euros in assistance to four states affected by government plan to phase out coal-powered energy and transition to renewables.

In the news today…

Coal:

• The Herald Dispatch carries an editorial on Murray Energy’s shift into the metallurgical coal market, and indicates that this is a sign of change in the industry.
• The Washington Examiner reports Trump will be withdrawing economic aid from huge coal-importing countries in Central America for immigration purposes.
• PV Magazine USA reports a Navajo Nation bill will shift 2.25 GW of coal powered generation to renewables, with recommendations due by June 7.
• The Torrington Telegram reports continued research into alternative uses for coal in Wyoming, including production of carbon fiber, a lightweight and durable material used in construction and vehicles.
• The Elk River Star News reports local officials in Minnesota approve the first round of tax incentives for Google to build a data center at the site of a coal plant northwest of Minneapolis.
• The New York Times reports Texas billionaire Andrew Beale is trying to upend California’s carbon-free mandates since they discriminate against generators powered by fossil fuels as the state promotes sources such as solar and wind power.

Carbon Capture Technology:

• The Department of Energy announced up to $20 million in federal funding for cooperative agreements to help accelerate the deployment of carbon capture, utilization, and storage.

Supreme Court:

• InsideEPA reports Supreme Court Justice John Roberts’ currently unknown position on when courts should defer to EPA and other federal agencies’ interpretations of their regulations will largely determine whether and to what degree the current standard remains.

Happy April Fools Day!!

In the news today and from the weekend…

Coal:

• E&E Greenwire reports Murray Energy Corp. will purchase three metallurgical mines, marking its first foray into coal used to manufacture steel.
• AL.com reports Murray Energy Corp. will acquire two Alabama mine properties in addition to a West Virginia mine.
• The Lexington Herald Leader reports local residents at a hearing call to bar surface mining around their towns, citing potential damage to water sources and tourism.
• The Washington Post reports 2018 was the four decade law in consumption of coal, leading to hardships through job loss.
• WLUC reports the shutdown of the Presque Isle Plant in Michigan and its replacement by two natural gas plants.
• E&E Climatewire reports Idaho Power Co.’s decision to generate all its power from low-carbon sources by 2045 and that renewables are increasingly cheaper power in the West.
• Axios reports the U.S. coal industry is seeing a sectoral decline, with 19 of 27 global corporate failures for the year coming from the U.S., 4 of which were in the metals and mining space.
• Greentech Media reports a New Mexico law that mandates 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2045 and includes $40 million for economic development, severance and retraining workers from the coal industry.
• The Farmington Daily Times reports the possibility of carbon capture as a solution to the closure of the San Juan Generating Station.
• Axios reports that converting coal-fired plants into production sites for lower-carbon energy sources could create jobs and improvements in health and quality of life in surrounding areas.
• Morning Consult carries an op-ed by J. Winston Porter, in which he argues that the loss in baseload coal plants denies insurance against power shortages.
• Argus reports on a recent event featuring US Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who called on innovation and technological advancement to revive the coal industry.

Renewables:

• Power Magazine reports that solar power is economical today, but comes with challenges.

In the news today…

Coal:

• Washington Examiner reports the coal industry is pushing for the federal government to value coal as necessary through a new report which states the closure of coal plants puts the grid at risk.
• Argus reports U.S. coal exports increased for the first time in three months in January following a recovery in thermal coal shipments to Europe and Asia.
• Argus reports Illinois lawmakers are introducing legislation backed by one of the state’s largest coal generators that is meant to encourage a transition to solar energy and battery storage.
• The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports a coal investor has offered to purchase a Tennessee Valley Authority plant in Kentucky that’s slated for closure next year.
• The Intelligencer reports Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia signed a steam coal severance tax cut into law on Wednesday.
• Associated Press reports the Montana state Senate endorsed a bill to allow NorthWestern Energy to buy an additional portion of a coal-fired power plant for $1 without the approval of state utility regulators.
• The Casper Star Tribune reports Wyoming lost 153 jobs at its coal mines last year and the state’s coal production declined by about 12.5 million tons.
• RTO insider reports gas-fired generation continues to gain market share at the expense of coal, a trend likely to accelerate according to two new reports.
• WXYZ Detroit reports DTE Energy is preparing to move up the closure of multiple coal-fired power plants in southeast Michigan.

Climate:

• Axios reports data from Carnegie Mellon University show that U.S. power sector emissions ticked upward last year because overall generation rose enough to outpace declines in emissions per unit of output.

EPA:

• Politico Pro reports the U.S. Chamber of Commerce joined utility trade associations and labor unions in opposing EPA’s proposal to reconsider MATS.
• InsideEPA reports the Supreme Court justices appeared unlikely to completely overturn a key precedent granting deference to EPA and other federal agencies’ interpretations of their regulations at March 27 oral argument.

Energy:

• Greentech Media reports the long-term cost of supplying grid electricity from today’s lithium-ion batteries is falling faster than expected, making them an increasingly cost-competitive alternative to natural-gas- and coal-fired power plants.
• Energy News Network reports critics say Xcel Energy’s plan to buy a Minnesota natural gas plant is a bad deal for ratepayers and runs counter to the company’s clean energy goals.
• Energy News Network reports critics say Duke Energy’s long-range plan in North Carolina still contains too much coal and not enough renewables.

In the news today…

Climate:

• The Washington Post and E&E Climatewire report coal emissions globally are on the rise; in 2018 emissions grew at the fastest rate since 2013.
• The Washington Post reports global greenhouse gas emissions tied to energy use hit a record high of 33.1 billion tons in 2018, growing by 1.7 percent, according to a report from the IEA. Fossil fuels powered 70 percent of global electricity demand last year, and carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants worldwide surpassed 10 billion tons for the first time, the report said.
• Politico reports House Democrats intend to release legislation tomorrow to demand that the United States devise a plan to meet the emissions-curbing commitments of the Paris climate agreement, according to five sources.

Energy:

• E&E Energywire reports Irving, a Texas-based Energy Corp., is behind legislation to help redevelop central and southern Illinois coal plants into utility-scale solar and energy storage.

Coal:

• E&E Energywire reports South Carolina lawmakers and utilities are fighting over the future of the coal fleet in the Southeast.
• Argus reports Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy supplier, is seeking state approval to eliminate coal-fired generation while increasing renewable energy generation and reducing carbon emissions by 2040.
• Utility Dive reports a majority of coal plants are vulnerable to replacement by local wind and solar power alternatives, particularly in the Southeast.
• The Casper Star Tribune reports Wyoming’s largest coal mines are likely to see reduced production in 2019.
• The New York Times carries a letter to the editor in which the reader argues that miners can be transitioned into work restoring the land around coal mines.
• The Houston Chronicle reports Indiana is getting about $8.1 million in federal funding to help clean up and re-purpose abandoned coal mines.
• Bloomberg reports Vietnam’s plans for $7.8 billion in gas-fired power plants may see the nation become one of the world’s newest liquefied natural gas importers and cut its coal use.

EPA:

• InsideEPA reports groups from the oil and utility sectors support EPA’s proposal to no longer set greenhouse gas limits for new coal plants based on carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).
• Bloomberg Environment reports EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler has formally recused himself from the ongoing Pebble Mine permitting process.
• InsideEPA reports the Trump administration is proposing to increase the budget for EPA’s toxics office as it works to implement the reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
• Argus reports two states, New Mexico and Michigan, are seeking to withdraw lawsuits challenging the implementation of the 2015 Waters of the U.S. rule.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Electric Grid:

• Real Clear Energy carries an op-ed from Gerry Scimeca, vice president of Consumer Action for a Strong Economy, warning against the loss of fuel diversity on the grid given that increasing reliance on natural gas comes at the same time as growing natural gas exports.
• The Washington Examiner carries an op-ed in response to Mark Perry’s March 18 op-ed. In the response, Michael Bryson of PJM argues PJM used coal and oil over natural gas during the recent cold snap due to affordability and that retiring coal plants will not affect the ability of PJM to supply power to Americans.

Coal:

• The Billings Gazette reports Rosebud Mine, under new ownership following the bankruptcy of Westmoreland Coal Co., appears to be on steadier footing and will continue to deliver coal to Colstrip Power Plant through the end of the year.
• The Insurance Journal reports cuts to the federal Black Lung Disability Trust Fund make taxpayers liable to pay for the difference.
• E&E News PM reports the Navajo Generating Station and Kayenta mine will close this year, after a Navajo Nation company’s bid to buy ended.
• Greentech Media reports a new proposal in Colorado which would supply securitization through bonds to help ease the closing of coal power plants and fund the transition of workers.
• E&E Climatewire reports a new report which suggests switching from coal-fired plants to renewables could save consumers money amid growing closures of coal power plants.
• Energy News Network reports a new study which finds that locally generated solar and wind energy could replace almost three-fourths of electricity supplied by coal plants at less cost by 2025.
• Gallup reports most Americans support reducing fossil fuel use, with coal being the least supported energy source with 50% of those polled responding they want less emphasis on coal production.
• Axios reports growing investment in carbon removal technology across numerous startups.
• WJHL reports Virginia coal mining jobs increased in 2018 for the first time in five years, while coal production decreased.
• E&E Daily reports the House Natural Resources Committee will search for best ways to help communities recover abandoned coal mines.
• The Denver Post reports coal production in Colorado decreased in 2018.

EPA:

• E&E News PM reports EPA has advanced a proposed rule on “project emissions accounting” which would ultimately streamline the permitting process for the New Source Review permitting program.
• InsideEPA reports EPA’s proposal to scrap the Obama-era finding that its power plant air toxics rule was “appropriate and necessary” while keeping MATS could open new legal challenges to killing MATS overall.

Climate:

• PoliticoPro reports Rep. Matt Gaetz is circulating a “Green Real Deal” resolution, which supports innovation such as carbon capture and storage technology, in response to the Green New Deal.
• PoliticoPro reports the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service released a report examining approaches to carbon taxes and emissions fees.
• Axios reports the International Energy Agency is close to releasing its latest analysis of global CO2 energy efficiency and carbon emissions.

Energy:

• The Associated Press reports New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation mandating more solar panels and wind turbines as the state sets new renewable energy goals.
• The Minot Daily News reports Brian Davey, CEO of Brown Coal Innovation Australia, and Janet Gellici, CEO of the National Coal Council, will be the keynote speakers when the Lignite Energy Council holds its annual meeting April 24-25 at the Bismarck Event Center in Bismarck.
• CBS News reports major oil and gas companies have poured more than $100 billion into their fossil fuel infrastructure, more than 10 times the amount they have spent on low-carbon investments.

World News:

• E&E Climatewire reports the European Union pushed back a decision on fighting climate change, with some countries opposing a pledge to end most emissions from greenhouse gases by 2050.

In the news today…

Coal:

• WJHL reports coal mining jobs in Virginia have increased in 2018 for the first time in five years, but coal production has slightly decreased; despite this rise, coal mines still employ far fewer people in 2018 than they did five years ago.
• WBOY reports a West Virginia company re-imagining uses for coal as roofing tile which is lighter, more durable and less flammable than ceramic tile.
• Knox News reports TVA is considering a proposal from a Kentucky company to buy and continue operations of the Paradise plant.
• The Casper Star Tribune reports Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon calls for Wyoming to be “realistic and mature” about its reliance on tax revenue from coal, oil and natural gas, which could drop significantly.
• Argus reports coal-fired and nuclear generation in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) have continued to lose ground to natural gas and renewable sources this year.

Minerals:

• E&E Energywire reports investor appetite is back for lithium after months of uncertainty over prices and fears of oversupply for the mineral essential to power electric vehicle batteries.

Climate:

• PoliticoPro reports Rep. Paul Tonko argues that relying on technological innovation to address climate change is insufficient and outlined his principles for climate legislation.
• InsideEPA reports carbon tax supporters are refining their policies in the face of skepticism from progressives of the effectiveness of a tax and opposition from most Republicans.
• E&E News PM reports the Federal Energy Regulation Commission is split about whether to incorporate greenhouse gas emission analysis into project environmental assessments.

In the news today…

Op-eds:

• The Roanoke Times carries an op-ed by U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, in which he argues that the Green New Deal fails to address the needs of an effective plan countering climate change and endorses technology and “all of the above” energy policies.
• USA Today carries an op-ed by Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, in which he argues that Sens. Murkowski and Manchin present pragmatic climate solutions that invest in communities.

Coal:

• Grist reports coal miners are switching over to green energy jobs in southeast Kentucky due to the closure of coal mines in the area.
• Grand Forks Herald reports North Dakota is eligible to receive more than $2.8 million in grant funds as part of a grant package Acting Interior Secretary Bernhardt announced Tuesday for states and tribes to reclaim and repurpose abandoned coal mine lands.
• E&E Greenwire reports the DOI has offered $291.2 million this year as part of its annual mandatory grant program to help clean up former coal mines.
• Politico reports the White House has dropped plans to nominate a veteran lawyer to serve on a key federal energy panel after pressure from Energy Secretary Perry and major coal companies headed by allies of President Donald Trump, two people familiar with the effort told POLITICO.
• S&P Global Market Intelligence reports major U.S. coal producers that bit the bullet early and filed for bankruptcy a few years ago are now enjoying the benefits of improved coal markets and clean balance sheets, but the companies that avoided that first wave of reorganizations now find themselves particularly stressed by declining domestic demand.
• Argus reports coal producer Paringa Resources has received a $56 million loan to accelerate expansion of its Poplar Grove mine in Kentucky.
• MagicValley.com reports Idaho Power Co. is close to eliminating coal from its energy sources with plans to cut ties with its three remaining coal-fired plants.
• Arizona Central reports Peabody Energy laid off about 40 miners, about 12 percent of its mine’s workforce, at the Kayenta mine in Arizona last month in preparation for the mine’s closure later this year.
• Billings Gazette reports labor unions support a Republican bill hoped to save the coal-fired Colstrip Power Plant by allowing a South Dakota utility to buy a bigger stake in it despite opposition from consumer advocates.
• The Associated Press reports the black lung fund is in jeopardy and taxpayers could foot the bill, despite insistence from the Trump administration and industry allies that the fun will continue to pay benefits to sick miners.

EPA:

• InsideEPA reports EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler is prioritizing water issues over climate change, but the agency’s broad water policy agenda is mired in major Clean Water Act fights over scope and strength of water permits.
• InsideEPA reports environmentalists are urging EPA to abandon its proposal to revise new source performance standards limiting greenhouse gases from new coal plants.

Congress:

• E&E Greenwire reports former Reps. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) urged Congress Wednesday to pass a broad infrastructure package. Shuster, who chaired the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Crowley, who led the House Democratic Caucus, made the pitch to President Trump and Congress at a Bipartisan Policy Center event on infrastructure funding.
• Politico Pro reports Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is working on an overhaul of the energy bill she has introduced in each of the previous two Congresses, a top committee staffer said at a conference today.

Climate:

• Washington Examiner reports a new poll out Wednesday from the American Energy Alliance shows that voters may favor pieces of the “Green New Deal,” but in the end the majority doesn’t want to pay for it. Forty-eight percent “oppose” the 2030 fossil fuel mandate, while 44 percent support it.
• E&E Energywire reports people who live near wind turbines almost always prefer them to a hypothetical power plant that uses fossil fuels, according to a new survey carried out by University of Delaware researchers.
• Washington Examiner reports Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued a framework to address climate change, developed over a year and a half, which would set a target of net-zero emissions by 2050 and an undetermined price on carbon emissions. The plan also includes policies, such as funding research on carbon capture technologies, that have been supported by some Republicans on the committee.

Technology:

• Axios reports Carbon Engineering has brought in $68 million worth of private equity to commercialize technology that pulls carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, marking the biggest private investment into a company seeking to deploy “direct air capture” systems.