Author Archives: Terry M. Jarrett

In the news today…

Coal:

• Argus reports second quarter Illinois basin coal production climbed by 22pc from a year earlier but remained well below pre-pandemic levels, according to data from the US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).

Carbon Capture:

• Politico Pro reports the inclusion of billions of dollars for controversial carbon capture technology in the bipartisan infrastructure bill is dividing traditional climate allies, pitting progressives who argue the measure prolongs the use of fossil fuels against others who see it is as a necessary tool to achieve ambitious U.S. climate goals.

Cybersecurity:

• Upstream reports that the cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline exposed holes in US network defenses.

Electric Vehicles:

• Utility Dive reports Biden’s goal of 50% EV sales by 2030 will test supply chains, utilities, experts say.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Minerals:

• Mining.com reports a North Carolina county imposed a 60-day mining moratorium on Friday, giving officials time to rework local regulations before Piedmont Lithium Inc applies for a necessary zoning variance.

Coal:

• Politico Pro carries an interview with Brian Anderson on his role in finding new paths for coal-reliant communities.
• Politico Pro reports hundreds of union members from multiple states rallied yesterday for Alabama miners who have been on strike against Warrior Met Coal Inc. since early April seeking contract improvements.
• Argus reports US coal exports reached a two-year high in June, helped by a surge in shipments to China, India and Japan.
• The Wall Street Journal reports renewables are replacing coal in the U.S., except in rural areas.

In the news today…

Energy Efficiency:

• The Hill reports that the Department of Energy proposed a new rule that would revoke Trump-era rollbacks of certain household appliance efficiency standards, saying the previous administration had ignored a prohibition against standards that decrease efficiency. The changes applied to washers, dryers and dishwashers, exempting some from energy and conservation standards by slotting certain models into a separate class of “short-cycle” products.

Minerals:

• St. Joseph News Press carries an op-ed by Michael Stumo, CEO of the Coalition for a Prosperous America, in which he argues in order to keep taxpayer dollars out of China’s hands, it’s time to bring these supply chains home, including mining and critical materials.

Mining:

• Bozeman Daily Chronicle carries an editorial which states the law governing how minerals can be extracted from public land was enacted in 1872 when Ulysses S. Grant was president of the United States. By almost any standard, such a dated law warrants substantial revision to bring it in line with contemporary realities.

Clean Water Act:

• Inside EPA reports a federal judge in South Carolina has granted EPA’s request to remand without vacatur the Trump-era Clean Water Act (CWA) rule that narrowed how states evaluate whether federal permits protect state water quality standards, a decision that will likely ease the Biden administration’s efforts to overhaul the measure.

Coal:

• Argus reports Powder River basin (PRB) coal production climbed by 27pc last quarter from the multi-year low set in the same period of 2020 amid increased electricity demand and higher natural gas prices.

In the news today…

Coal:

• Forbes reports the world has yet to even meet the peak of demand for the least environmentally friendly fuel of all, coal.

Carbon Capture:

• Grand Forks Herald reports North Dakota’s budding roster of carbon capture projects aim to scrub the emissions of the state’s coal and ethanol industries, and even achieve carbon negative oil production.
• Politico Pro reports the Senate infrastructure bill offers billions of dollars to develop carbon capture and hydrogen projects, giving a boost to technologies that oil and gas industry has said were needed to reduce their emissions that contribute to climate change.
• Argus reports US Senators are moving forward with plans to extend mine reclamation fees and expand funding carbon capture utilization and sequestration (CCUS) projects, including pipelines to transport captured CO2.
• Politico Pro reports carbon capture advocates are urging lawmakers to continue approving policies that would help the technology prosper as Congress pushes forward on massive infrastructure spending.

Minerals:

• Canary Media reports shortages of key materials and high shipping costs may soon affect U.S. solar projects.
• Reuters and Mining.com report Piedmont Lithium Inc said on Monday it will delay first shipments of lithium chemicals to electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc and that it does not have a definitive date for when deliveries could begin.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Clean Energy:

• Bloomberg reports that the U.S. needs to rapidly speed its pace of clean energy deployment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, on the order of installing 800 MW of additional generation each week over 2020 levels, a new report shows.

Coal:

• Virginia Mercury reports the declining use of coal-fired power plants in Virginia is raising questions about how long utilities should keep them open.
• WMKY reports a report by University of Tennessee researchers concludes that three West Virginia coal plants will not be economical to operate in five years.
• Associated Press reports member cooperatives of a Minnesota electric company endorsed a deal Friday to sell a financially troubled coal-fueled power plant in North Dakota to a Bismarck firm.

Mining:

• Politico Pro reports Alaska Native leaders urged federal agencies this week to reconsider their approval of a 211-mile-long mining access road planned across the remote interior part of the state.
• Politico Pro reports two tribes that joined a legal battle over plans to build a mine at the largest known U.S. deposit of lithium urged a judge yesterday to temporarily ban digging for an archaeological survey that they say would desecrate sacred tribal lands in Nevada near the Oregon line.

In the news today…

Coal:

• The Wall Street Journal reports Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan made public commitments to environmental sustainability but continue to finance struggling coal and oil-and-gas producers.
• The Herald-Dispatch reports Arch Resources plans to open its new metallurgical coal mine near Philippi, West Virginia, before the end of August, company officials announced Tuesday.
• Politico Pro reports the Biden administration this spring cut the royalty fees a mining company is required to pay on coal dug up at two major operations on public land in the West, an Interior Department database shows.
• WEEK reports Illinois coal plant workers raise concerns about proposed state legislation that would close their facilities by 2035.
• Argus reports coal exports from Hampton Roads, Virginia, climbed in June to their highest level in more than a year, reflecting extended gains in thermal and metallurgical markets.

Energy:

• Politico Pro reports electricity generated from renewables was the second biggest source of power in the United States in 2020, lagging only natural gas-fired power generation for the first time, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
• Argus reports the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has objected to a Texas coal plant’s operating permit after environmental groups challenged a state regulator’s decision to issue the permit.
• Argus reports DTE Energy is considering moving up retirement dates for its coal plants, the utility’s executives said.

Carbon Capture:

• KFYR reports North Dakota’s state and industry leaders are putting tax dollars towards carbon capture technologies.

Mining:

• Mining.com reports a U.S. federal judge ruled on Wednesday that Native American tribes may join a lawsuit seeking to block Lithium Americas Corp’s proposed Thacker Pass mine in Nevada, the latest attempt to halt development of what could become one of the largest U.S. producers of the electric vehicle battery metal.
• Reuters reports Cosam Mullins mined coal in the western hills of Virginia for much of his working life. Now, with mining jobs hard to find, he’s cleaning up the mess the industry left behind.
• The Guardian reports coal miners and union advocates from across the country rallied in New York on Wednesday morning in support of Alabama miners who are four months into a strike against their employer, Warrior Met Coal.

In the news today…

Coal:

• KNKX reports a Washington county that held off a proposal for a coal export terminal will vote on a permanent ban on new fossil fuel infrastructure.
• Argus reports coal exports from Hampton Roads, Virginia, climbed in June to their highest level in more than a year, reflecting extended gains in thermal and metallurgical markets.
• Argus reports market conditions may facilitate enhanced cash flow generation from Arch Resources’ thermal coal mines.
• Argus reports US coal-fired generation rose by 37pc in May from a year earlier amid an increase in electricity use and a drop in power from natural gas and nuclear energy.

Energy:

• Politico Pro reports departing Federal Energy Regulatory Commission member Neil Chatterjee said his handling of a Trump-era push to elevate coal and nuclear plants to boost grid resilience caused the issue to spiral into partisan politics.

Carbon Capture:

• E&E Climatewire reports environmental justice advocates have gotten used to hearing election-season promises, and so they didn’t get too excited last year when Joe Biden offered them this one: access and input to his political agenda.

Minerals:

• Sierra Nevada Ally carries an op-ed which states that lithium is enabling more mining when we need to be mining less.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Minerals:

• Sierra Nevada Ally, The Nevada Independent and Patch report on May 27 of this year, four conservation and public accountability groups filed for a preliminary injunction in the Federal District Court in Reno that asks the court to prohibit construction of the Thacker Pass lithium mine.
• Reuters and Mining.com report a U.S. federal judge has ruled that Lithium Americas Corp may conduct excavation work at its Thacker Pass lithium mine site in Nevada, denying a request from environmentalists who said the digging could harm sage grouse and other wildlife.
• Mining.com reports Rio Tinto has approved a $108 million investment in underground development to enable early orebody access and undertake orebody characterization studies for underground mining at the Kennecott copper operations in Utah.

Mining:

• K2 Radio reports Wyoming continues see increases in employment compared to the lows of 2020, except for the mining sector which is struggling to recover.
• Seeking Alpha reports Komatsu has been losing share in China and is increasingly seeing Chinese competitors taking away share in construction and mining markets across Southeast Asia, undermining some important profit centers.

Coal:

• Argus reports independent power producer GenOn has delayed the retirement dates for two of its coal-fired power plants by more than six months.

Carbon Capture:

• Associated Press reports two companies seeking to build thousands of miles of pipeline across the Midwest are promising the effort will aid rather than hinder the fight against climate change, though some environmental groups remain skeptical.

Mine Safety:

• Associated Press reports falling equipment killed a man at a Wyoming coal mine.

In the news today…

Coal:

• The Detroit News (Mich.) carries an op-ed by Mark Perry, professor emeritus at the University of Michigan in Flint and a senior fellow at The American Enterprise Institute, in which he states coal provides an essential insurance policy to the energy grid.
• Politico Pro, Argus and E&E Greenwire report the Biden administration will award $300 million to coal-dependent communities on Thursday as part of an effort to help diversify the economies in the regions that are struggling amid the shift away from the fossil fuel.
• Trib Live reports the closure of Cheswick Generating Station — Allegheny County’s only coal-fired power plant — has been postponed until spring.

Energy:

• Bloomberg Green reports transmission lines for new energy projects are scarce, but retired coal plants could provide a partial solution for new renewable and nuclear power.
• Politico Pro reports the head of the Department of Energy’s loan office defended its track record for backing clean energy projects yesterday and suggested that geothermal developers could be among the new beneficiaries of loan guarantees.
• Politico Pro reports EPA’s plan for regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants remains unclear more than halfway into President Biden’s first year in office.

Minerals:

• Politico Pro reports the U.S. defense industrial base should find a way to ween itself off of rare earth minerals from China, according to new recommendations from a bipartisan congressional task force.
• The Wall Street Journal reports tin prices are surging to all-time highs, lifted by wagers that coronavirus disruptions in Southeast Asia will fuel shortages of the industrial metal.

In the news today…

Coal:

• Westport News reports coal production in Montana fell by 23% in 2020, compared to the previous year, as demand for coal and the electricity it is used to generate declined during the pandemic.
• The Fort Morgan Times reports a coal fire has been burning in the “live storage” at Pawnee Power Plant near Brush since Wednesday, July 14, according to a statement about the fire from Brush Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Ray Uhrick provided to The Fort Morgan Times on Tuesday afternoon.
• Argus reports higher domestic and international coal demand gave eastern railroad CSX its busiest coal shipping quarter in more than a year.

Energy:

• S&P Global reports coal retirements in the Midwest Independent System Operator are giving natural gas-fired power surprisingly large market share in the ISO territory this summer, despite historically elevated gas prices.
• The Herald-Dispatch carries an op-ed which argues the planned early closure of a southern Ohio coal plant could forecast similar closures in the Ohio Valley region.
• Politico Pro reports the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is offering its ideas for a clean electricity standard, foreshadowing potential fights as Democrats move forward with a massive, multitrillion-dollar reconciliation package.

Carbon Capture:

• Energy News Network reports the Sierra Club is warning that proposed carbon capture and sequestration infrastructure in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and the Dakotas may help extend the life of fossil fuel power plants.

Minerals/Metals:

• Politico Pro reports conservationists suing a federal agency over approval of a mine at the largest known U.S. deposit of lithium urged a judge to issue a temporary restraining order blocking excavations they say would disturb sacred tribal burial grounds near the Nevada-Oregon line.
• Mining.com and the Washington Post report a U.S. federal judge said on Wednesday she will rule by July 29 on whether to temporarily block Lithium Americas Corp from excavating its Thacker Pass site in Nevada, which could become one of the country’s biggest lithium mines.
• The Wall Street Journal reports Form Energy’s iron-air batteries could have big ramifications for storing electricity on the power grid.

In the news today…

Mining:

• Argus reports leaders of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources have come to an agreement on extending abandoned mine land fees charged to producers, potentially clearing the way for collections to last beyond the end of the fiscal year.
• Montana Standard carries an op-ed which states that about 1,600 members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 11-0001 at Sibanye-Stillwater take great pride in responsibly mining the metals needed for clean energy generation, electronic components, building construction and many other industries, and they support the American Jobs Plan.

Coal:

• WCPO reports the William H. Zimmer Power Station in Moscow, Ohio, will close earlier than expected next May because it’s unable to sell electricity at a high enough rate to make a profit, owner Vistra Corp. announced Monday.
• The Daily Yonder reports funded by a $1.2 million U.S. Department of Energy grant, a consortium of researchers will determine if critical minerals can be extracted from the waste byproducts of Appalachian coal mining.

Carbon Capture:

• Inside Climate News reports the bipartisan infrastructure bill may include billions in support for carbon capture. Progressive groups are not happy about it.

Minerals:

• Electrek reports clean energy may mean less mining for coal, but it also means more mining for minerals such as cobalt for use in alloys and batteries, tellurium for solar cells and semiconductors, and germanium for transistors in electronic devices.
• Politico Pro reports a Minnesota court dealt another blow to the developers of a proposed copper-nickel project, this time involving the open-pit mine’s air permit.
• WSOC reports Piedmont Lithium, which wants to mine lithium in northern Gaston County, presented its plan to county commissioners on Tuesday night.

World News:

• Reuters reports climate change talks this year aimed at keeping global warming in check need to consign coal power to history, the British president of the upcoming United Nations’ conference said on Wednesday.
• Axios reports environment ministers from the G20 face a stark reality as they gather this week in Italy: Coal is proving quite resilient despite steep declines in some economies, Ben writes.

In the news today…

Coal:

• Indiana Public Radio reports coal production dropped by nearly 37 percent last year — more than any of the other top coal mining states.
• Charleston Gazette-Mail reports Kentucky state utility regulators have dealt a blow to plans to keep a Marshall County coal-fired generating plant operating until its planned retirement date of 2040.
• Argus reports Kentucky state regulators said American Electric Power (AEP) cannot pass on to customers costs for upgrading the Mitchell coal-fired power plant in West Virginia, putting up a hurdle to keeping the 1,560MW plant open past the end of this decade.
• Politico Pro reports Oklahoma is suing the Interior Department over its bid to take over coal mine regulations on the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) announced today.

Nuclear:

• Politico Pro reports a bipartisan group of senators reintroduced legislation this morning that would throw a financial lifeline to struggling nuclear reactors through a new EPA-led credit program.

Mining:

• Politico Pro reports environmental regulators have filed a motion to dismiss a legal case that sought to block the president of an Idaho-based company from being involved in proposed mines in northwestern Montana under a state law that punishes companies and their executives who don’t clean up mining pollution.
• S&P Global reports amid the global push to decarbonize, automakers have rushed to secure the lithium needed to make electric vehicle batteries.

Emissions:

• The New York Times reports senators introduced a plan on Monday to tax iron, steel and other imports from countries without ambitious climate laws.
• RealClearEnergy carries an op-ed by Dan Ervin, a professor of Finance in the Perdue School of Business at Salisbury University, calling for the U.S. to double down on advancing CCUS for global climate leadership.
• Inside Sources carries an op-ed from Jim Constantopoulos, professor of geology at Eastern New Mexico University, in which he argues the U.S. must deliver globally replicable emissions solutions with renewable energy and emissions-free fossil fuel technology.

In the news today…

Coal:

• Politico Pro reports senators from the leading coal-mining states have reached an agreement to renew the soon-to-expire fee coal companies pay to clean up abandoned mines in a deal that includes an $11.3 billion reclamation investment.
• WKBN reports even as legislators consider additional funding for reclaiming pre-1977 abandoned mine lands, coal company bankruptcies starting in 2015 could lead to a new wave of modern-era abandoned mine land issues.
• Politico Pro reports House appropriators are backing a White House plan to create a $100 million job training and education program for displaced fossil fuel workers.

Minerals:

• Politico Pro reports the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced an unprecedented $3 billion program to clean up abandoned hardrock mines.
• Reuters reports Compass Minerals’ shares rose nearly 20% in premarket trading on Wednesday after the mineral producer said it had found about 2.4 million metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) at its solar evaporation site in Utah.
• Jalopnik reports GM is planning to open a lithium mine in a location that is otherwise a wasteland.
• S&P Global reports the United States could eventually become a net exporter of the rare earth materials crucial to making an array of products, including many electronics, wind turbines, energy storage devices and electric vehicle batteries, a top official at the U.S. Energy Department said.

Energy:

• St. Louis Public Radio reports among the most contentious points of the latest clean energy proposal being considered by Illinois lawmakers is a plan to phase out coal-burning plants by 2035.
• Washington Examiner and Politico Pro report IEA projects a 5% rise in power demand in 2021, with almost half of the increase met by fossil fuels — including coal — which could push emissions from the electricity sector to record levels.

In the news today…

Mining:

• KNAU reports conservation groups are urging Arizona regulators to deny a key permit for a uranium mine near the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
• Argus reports Wyoming lawmakers are considering adding an option for mine reclamation bonding that supporters say could reduce the state’s risk from producer insolvencies.
• WTVQ reports reclaiming all of the coal mines in Kentucky and six other Appalachian states could cost an estimated $7.5 billion to $9.8 billion, according to a new report by Appalachian Voices, an environmental conservation group.

Minerals:

• Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly reports Toronto-listed Nevada Copper is studying a potential solar project at its Pumpkin Hollow mine, which could materially reduce the already low grid power costs of Nevada, in the US.

Coal:

• Energy News Network reports mining companies increasingly rely on cheaper contractors who are reluctant to report safety problems or decline overtime, experts say.
• Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the operator of an underground coal mine near Logan caused a fatal mining incident in January by not having policies or procedures in place to assure safe underground haulage, according to federal mine regulators’ final report on the incident released Tuesday.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Grid:

• The Oregonian reports that California grid operators declare a stage-two emergency after a huge wildfire takes out the Oregon-California intertie — which carries 4,800 megawatts of hydropower to California — just as extreme heat drives up power demand.

Minerals:

• E&E Greenwire reports the Interior Department has signaled it will remove uranium from its roster of critical minerals when it releases a draft of the updated list this fall. Conor Bernstein is quoted.
• Mining.com reports Energy Fuels and Neo Performance Materials created a new United States-to-Europe rare earth supply chain last week when the first container – with 20 tonnes of product – of an expected 15 containers of mixed rare earth carbonate produced at Energy Fuels’ White Mesa Mill in Utah was shipped to Neo’s rare earth separations facility in Estonia.
• KNOX News (Tenn.) carries an op-ed by Ivan Maldonado, professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, in which he argues we need minerals and metals for advanced energy technologies.

Coal:

• WyoFile reports Wyoming lawmakers are considering a new option for coal mine reclamation bonding that could reduce risk for the state in the event of insolvency.
• KPIX reports the developers of a proposed coal export terminal in Oakland say they are willing not to ship coal, but only if the city drops lawsuits, guarantees construction financing and lowers the rent on the property.

Mining:

• E&E Daily reports House appropriators proposed large spending increases for a range of labor, education and health programs in legislation released yesterday.

In the news today…

Coal:

• Bloomberg Law reports the price tag for cleaning up modern coal mines in Appalachia is between $7.5 billion and $9.8 billion—vastly more than the $3.8 billion known to be set aside for the job in bonds, an environmental group estimates in a new report.
• Charleston Gazette-Mail reports Appalachia has a multibillion-dollar coal mine reclamation problem. A report released Wednesday highlights just how daunting it is.
• E&E Greenwire reports a nonprofit law firm in Kentucky urged the Labor Department today to crack down on levels of silica dust in coal mines to combat resurgent cases of black lung disease.
• E&E Climatewire reports coal generation across the world is surging, and suppliers are enjoying some of the highest prices in a decade, but climate concerns remain.

Energy:

• Mining.com reports the surging, post-pandemic U.S. economy is driving an unexpected boom in coal, the latest sign that demand for the dirtiest fossil fuel remains resilient.
• Wall Street Journal reports a new twist on an old financial tool is helping electric utilities shut down money-losing coal-fired power plants, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and often lowering costs for consumers.

Minerals:

• S&P Global reports the leading U.S. minerals science agency said uranium is not qualified for inclusion on the federal list of commodities essential to national and economic security, though the agency did not state whether it should be removed from that list.
• Mining.com reports a group backed by German car-making giants Daimler AG and Volkswagen AG has started a study into the environmental impact of lithium mining in Chile, the second-largest supplier of the key ingredient in rechargeable batteries.

In the news today…

Coal:

• NM Political Report reports a cooling-tower collapse takes one of two units at a major New Mexico coal plant offline indefinitely, diminishing the plant’s generating capacity as another heat wave heads for the region and further complicating a plan to equip the plant with carbon capture.
• The Dallas Morning News reports the governor hasn’t added additional grid reform measures to a special session but is urging the commission to act on its own, largely centering on prioritizing natural gas and coal-fired power plants.
• S&P Global reports the US is estimated to produce 617.3 million st of coal in 2021, the US Energy Information Administration said in a July 7 report, raising its monthly estimate by roughly 17 million st, or 2.9%, from June to its highest projection for the year.
• E&E Climatewire reports concerns about climate change have led to a consolidation of thermal coal mines by firms with shaky finances and by privately held mining companies that are less responsive to investor pressure, according to new research.

Minerals:

• Mining.com reports easing covid 19 risks and improved uranium fundamentals have prompted Western Uranium & Vanadium to pull the trigger on a restart of uranium exploration development and mining at the Sunday mine complex in western San Miguel County, Colorado.
• Mining.com reports geopolitical risks and the US-China tensions pose threats to the global lithium supply chain, a new report by Fitch Solutions Country Risk & Industry Research states.
• Financial Times reports the White House wants to reduce reliance on China for critical materials but environmentalists have raised objections.

In the news today…

Minerals:

• Reuters and Holtville Tribune report General Motors Co is investing in a U.S. lithium project that could become the country’s largest by 2024, making the automaker one of the first to develop its own source of a battery metal crucial for the electrification of cars and trucks.
• E&E Energywire reports if all goes to plan, General Motors Co.’s future electric cars will rely on batteries made from a broiling-hot, brownish fluid that gushes from the California desert.
• Sierra Nevada Ally carries an op-ed which argues a major lithium mine proposed for the state is necessary to limit global warming.

Coal:

• Associated Press reports the nation’s largest public utility is looking at shutting down three of its five remaining coal-fired power plants, saying they are old and no longer practical.
• The Wall Street Journal reports surging electricity use and higher natural-gas prices are giving coal new life despite its environmental drawbacks.

Climate:

• Washington Examiner reports Democrats may struggle to revamp President Joe Biden’s signature climate policy to comply with strict budget rules that govern the reconciliation process, the legislative maneuver they are using to bypass the filibuster.