Author Archives: Terry M. Jarrett

Now, the first of December was covered with snow
So was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston
Though the Berkshires seemed dreamlike on account of that frostin’
With ten miles behind me and ten thousand more to go…

In the news today…

Railway:

• E&E News PM reports the House voted Wednesday afternoon to block a looming freight rail strike and give workers seven days of paid leave.
• Argus reports the US House of Representatives approved a bill to override union objections to a proposed rail worker contract, a move meant to avoid a nationwide strike that threatens widespread economic disruption.
• Argus reports US rail volume fell last week from year earlier levels as the industry edged closer to a potential nationwide strike.

Public Lands:

• E&E Greenwire reports President Joe Biden pledged Wednesday to protect vast swaths of public lands in the Mojave Desert sacred to Yuman-speaking Native American tribes.
• New York Times reports President Biden pledged Wednesday that he would preserve the Spirit Mountain area in southern Nevada, which contains some of the most biologically diverse and culturally significant lands in the Mojave Desert.
• E&E Daily reports President Joe Biden on Wednesday vowed to protect public lands in the Mojave Desert sacred to Yuman-speaking Native American tribes, but the designation of new national monument in Nevada is not expected until after the new year.
• Politico Pro reports the Biden administration announced on Thursday new policies meant to give Native American tribes more say in evaluating mining proposals as the U.S. moves to boost the domestic supply chain for critical minerals needed to fuel the green transition.

Climate:

• Bloomberg reports the Inflation Reduction Act is starting to change the way bankers view their climate targets.

In the news today…

Railway:

• The Hill reports a strike by U.S. railroad workers could have dramatic impacts on energy delivery, with industry groups warning of logistical snarls and price increases for consumers.
• Argus reports the US House of Representatives is set to vote tomorrow on legislation that would override union objections to a proposed rail worker contract, a move meant to avoid a nationwide strike that threatens widespread economic disruption.
• E&E Greenwire reports a threatened strike by rail workers has the biofuel industry bracing for another knockdown while memories of the Covid-19 pandemic’s disruptions are still fresh.

Renewables:

• Washington Post reports President Biden will pledge to put hundreds of thousands of acres off limits to development in southern Nevada around Spirit Mountain, a sacred tribal site. A broad coalition backs the move, but renewable energy firms have raised concerns.

Minerals:

• Associated Press reports the Minnesota Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday on an attempt by environmental groups to cancel a key permit for a long-stalled copper-nickel mine.

In the news today…

Media Alert:

• Thanks to Jacksonville Courier Journal (Ill.) and San Francisco Chronicle (Calif.) for carrying my op-ed where I argue that rather than race to dismantle more coal plants, the U.S. must recognize the essential utility of its remaining coal fleet as a reliability and affordability backstop.

Railway:

• Argus reports US President Joe Biden today called on Congress to pass legislation imposing a contract on railroads and labor unions that would avert a strike on December 9.
• New York Times reports that U.S. lawmakers hope to avert a looming national railroad workers’ strike that could halt coal shipments out of the Powder River Basin.

Grid:

• Utility Dive reports that a national laboratory says blockchain technology can be used to more quickly identify power grid security risks and patch them.

Permitting:

• Washington Examiner reports some environmentalists and their House allies who helped tank Sen. Joe Manchin’s campaign for “comprehensive” permitting reform in September have shifted their messaging to endorse some measure of reform — so long as it’s narrowly defined to exclude most of what Manchin wants.

In the news today and from the long weekend…

Media Alert:

• Thanks to Wayne County News (W.Va.), Williamson Daily News (W.Va.), Logan Banner (W.Va.), Coal Valley News (W.Va.) and Las Vegas Sun (Nev.) for carrying my op-ed where I argue that rather than race to dismantle more coal plants, the U.S. must recognize the essential utility of its remaining coal fleet as a reliability and affordability backstop.

Grid:

• E&E News reports that utilities could deliver more clean power over existing transmission lines during cool and breezy weather, but few are willing to embrace dynamic line ratings because of bureaucracy and cost concerns.
• Utility Dive reports that policy measures — and some luck — prevented prolonged outages over the past year, but climate change is exacerbating threats to grid reliability.

Permitting:

• Washington Times reports Sen. Joe Manchin III is negotiating in Congress to pass an energy permitting reform bill before the end of the year after Democrats reneged on a promise to approve the legislation in September.
• E&E Daily reports lawmakers could decide the fate of a long-term spending bill in the coming days, along with plans for the must-pass defense authorization and permitting reform legislation.
• The Hill reports Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) side deal with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to enact permitting reform before the end of the year is on life support as Republicans look to deprive the lawmaker of a major victory that could aid his potential 2024 reelection.

In the news today…

Media Alert:

• Thanks to the Wichita Falls Times Record News (Texas) and Yahoo Finance (USA) for carrying my op-ed where I argue that rather than race to dismantle more coal plants, the U.S. must recognize the essential utility of its remaining coal fleet as a reliability and affordability backstop.

Infrastructure:

• Washington Post reports that after just six weeks of intense bombing of energy infrastructure, Russia has battered Ukraine to the brink of a humanitarian disaster this winter as millions of people potentially face life-threatening conditions without electricity, heat or running water.

Railways:

• Reuters reports the leader of the largest U.S. business lobbying group on Tuesday called on Congress to intervene in an ongoing railroad labor standoff that threatens to idle shipments of food and fuel while inflicting billions of dollars of damage to an already struggling national economy.

Permitting:

• Washington Post carries an op-ed from Bloomberg which argues in favor of permitting reform.

Minerals:

• Wall Street Journal carries an op-ed which argues that we can’t rely on China for minerals.
• NPR reports high demand for lithium is sending mines into overdrive.

On this day in 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, while riding in an open car. RIP.

In the news today…

Grid:

• E&E News reports that clean energy advocates call on utilities and states to speed up Western grid integration and establish a regional power market to facilitate the flow of wind- and solar-produced electricity from state to state.

Railway:

• E&E Energywire reports a union that represents rail conductors has rejected a tentative labor deal, increasing the possibility of a strike, fuel supply disruptions and higher energy prices.

Permitting:

• E&E Greenwire reports House Democrats are trying to line up their vision for permitting reform legislation as some members of the caucus remain resistant to the effort.
• Washington Examiner reports the House Democrat-led Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition is carefully endorsing permitting reform, so long as it allows more community engagement in the review and approval of energy projects and doesn’t favor fossil fuel ventures.

Mining:

• E&E Greenwire reports a company will hire 100 people and invest $60 million in southern West Virginia to extract rare earth metals from coal waste impoundments, Gov. Jim Justice said.
• Politico Pro reports the copper, nickel and cobalt that lie untouched beneath the ground here in the northeastern Minnesota woods near the Canadian border are at the center of a struggle over how far the U.S. will go to create President Joe Biden’s clean energy future.

Good Monday Morning!

In the news today and from the weekend…

Media Alert:

• Thanks to the Scranton Times Tribune (Pa.) and Huntington Herald Dispatch (W.Va.) for carrying my op-ed where I argue that rather than race to dismantle more coal plants, the U.S. must recognize the essential utility of its remaining coal fleet as a reliability and affordability backstop.

Mining:

• E&E Greenwire reports the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that the state Department of Environmental Quality illegally issued a Clean Water Act permit for the proposed Resolution Copper mine, which is being opposed by the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

Minerals:

• Mining.com reports industry innovators in Wyoming, however, are tapping coal and its waste streams to extract rare earths, 17 essential elements to realizing an electrified economy.
• Washington Post reports on the state of copper.

Grid:

• Washington Examiner reports a large portion of North America is at risk of insufficient energy supplies during peak winter conditions this year, U.S. and Canadian regulators at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, or NERC, said in a sobering new report yesterday.
• Kansas Reflector reports that Kansas and western Missouri should have sufficient power supplies this winter, though the St. Louis area could be at risk for outages during extreme weather, a new report finds.

World News:

• E&E Climatewire reports global emissions associated with coal burning are on track to hit a new record in 2022, underscoring the challenge of phasing out the world’s most carbon-intensive fuel.

Happy Friday!

Media Alert:

• Thanks to the Steubenville Herald Star (Ohio) for carrying my op-ed where I argue that rather than race to dismantle more coal plants, the U.S. must recognize the essential utility of its remaining coal fleet as a reliability and affordability backstop.

Grid:

• E&E Energywire reports the nation’s grid monitor warned that Texas, the Midwest and New England risk outages in weather like last year’s Winter Storm Uri.

Mining:

• Reuters reports Republicans will seek to boost American production of lithium, copper and other electric-vehicle metals after the U.S. midterm elections gave them narrow control of the House of Representatives and the power to influence how regulators approve or deny mining projects.
• Mining.com reports the full 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals said on Thursday it will weigh whether the federal government improperly gave Rio Tinto Plc thousands of acres in Arizona for its Resolution Copper mining project in a case that pits religious rights against the green energy revolution.
• Roll Call reports skyrocketing demand for domestically sourced lithium to meet federal goals for zero-emission technologies has developers planning for the next great mining boon in the Silver State, but a rare wildflower may stymie one proposed project.

Energy:

• E&E Daily reports House Republican leaders said Thursday the party is preparing an energy and environment package that could emerge in January as one of the first pieces of major legislation passed by the GOP-controlled chamber.

World News:

• Washington Post reports in this part of northeastern Czech Republic, huge piles of coal are stacked up ready to sell to eager buyers and smoke belches from coal-fired plants that are ramping up instead of winding down.

In the news today…

Grid:

• Daily Energy Insider reports that for the fifth-straight year, ComEd earns high marks compared to peer utilities for grid reliability and avoiding long-term outages.

Mining:

• Washington Examiner reports that electric vehicle makers are eyeing ditching China and turning to noncompetitor countries like Indonesia for battery supplies to meet increasing demand without violating provisions of the Democratic climate legislation meant to move supply chains closer to home.
• WFIN reports House Republicans are preparing to pursue an aggressive plan to fight President Biden’s climate agenda through legislation and investigations over administration policymaking when they assume majority control early next year.
• Bloomberg reports Albemarle wants to restart a lithium mine as the building block of the first complete EV battery supply chain in the US.

Energy:

• E&E Energywire reports ahead of the midterm elections, many Republicans hoped a red wave would put pressure on the Biden administration’s energy agenda and help reverse it.

In the news today…

Media Alert:

• Thanks to the Salem News (Ohio), East Liverpool Review (Ohio) and Lisbon Morning Journal (Ohio) for carrying my new op-ed where I argue that rather than race to dismantle more coal plants, the U.S. must recognize the essential utility of its remaining coal fleet as a reliability and affordability backstop.

Mining:

• Washington Examiner reports mining and electric vehicle interests want Congress to follow the Canadians’ lead as it works through reforms to streamline environmental reviews and permitting.
• Washington Examiner and The Hill report five Democratic senators wrote to the Mine Safety and Health Administration yesterday questioning the delay of a new rule to regulate miners’ exposure to crystalline silica, a compound linked to a number of incurable respiratory ailments.

In the news today…

Grid:

• WBNS reports that American Electric Power officials say the utility is taking several steps to make its Ohio grid more resilient to long-term outages, including investing up to $900 million over the next five years.
• Star Herald reports that the Nebraska Public Power District will hold a second open house today for a 7-to-10-mile transmission line to increase local grid capacity.
• WOOD-TV8 reports that Michigan utility Consumers Energy says it has replaced 10,000 poles and upgraded 100 substations this year as part of its long-term grid reliability plan.

Permitting:

• Washington Examiner reports the House and Senate are back in session today, and leadership has a number of priorities to address before the new Congress is sworn in next year, including passing a defense bill and a government funding bill.
• E&E Daily reports lawmakers are intensifying negotiations on a spending package and permitting reform ahead of a busy rush to the finish line in December.

Coal:

• Axios reports the U.S., Japan and a suite of other partners today unveiled a $20 billion plan to help Indonesia curb reliance on coal-fired power in the world’s fourth-most populous country.

Mining:

• The Missoulian reports new mining projects seeking ultra-rare elements at formerly abandoned mine sites along tributaries to Idaho’s Salmon River offer to boost the United States’ domestic supply chain for things like electric vehicles, fire retardants and weapons.
• KUER reports the Utah Geological Survey was recently awarded a $300,000 federal grant to further investigate whether the indium in western Juab County is worth extracting.

Good Monday Morning!!

In the news today and from the weekend…

Mining:

• E&E Daily reports the House Natural Resources Committee will vote this week on whether to support a Republican-led effort to investigate the Biden administration’s handling of one of the country’s most controversial mining projects.
• NPR reports as world leaders meet for another climate summit in Egypt, the U.S. is pushing to mine more lithium for electric vehicle batteries at home. EVs will help cut pollution from transportation, the nation’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. But there’s a tradeoff, as residents have learned near Charlotte, where a big open-pit mine is proposed.

Coal:

• Reuters reports sceptics fear an American plan to use voluntary carbon markets to accelerate the energy transition in poor countries could amount to greenwashing. But if it is done in the right way it could help developing markets close down one of the world’s biggest carbon emitters: coal power plants.

In the news today…

Grid:

• S&P Global Market Intelligence reports that as Tropical Storm Nicole approaches Florida, likely to become a hurricane before landfall, utilities have stationed thousands of technicians in strategic locations to restore service as soon as possible. Power and gas prices are likely to weaken as service disruptions sap demand.

Railway:

• Argus reports fears of a US railroad workers’ strike as soon as 19 November have eased now that one labor union has agreed to wait until at least 9 December before acting.

Energy:

• Washington Examiner reports pressure is mounting on President Biden to intervene in New England’s impending winter energy crunch.

Permitting:

• E&E Energywire reports advocates in the fossil fuel and clean energy industries are eyeing divided government as a chance to rekindle interest in a bipartisan permitting overhaul.

In the news today…

Media Alert:

• Thanks to the Kokomo Tribune (Ind.) and Roanoke Times (Va.) for carrying my new op-ed where I argue that rather than race to dismantle more coal plants, the U.S. must recognize the essential utility of its remaining coal fleet as a reliability and affordability backstop.

Climate:

• E&E Daily reports lobbying disclosure records show that utilities, automakers, mining companies, oil and natural gas producers, and environmentalists all worked to influence the landmark legislation.

Minerals:

• Autoblog reports a number of automakers have publicly questioned provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act regarding the sourcing of raw materials.
• E&E Energywire reports Asian and European automakers who make up a huge slice of America’s automotive economy see flaws in how the U.S. designed its subsidies for electric vehicles and say alliances could devolve into trade wars if they aren’t fixed.
• Bloomberg Law reports a copper and cobalt mine proposed for tribal land in Arctic Alaska hinges on a disputed 200-mile road that would require federal approval.

Permitting:

• Politico Pro reports Congressional Democrats are expected to press ahead with plans to update energy permitting rules before the end of the year, but Republicans may not be in the mood to strike a compromise if they take control of the House or Senate.

Coal:

• Argus reports coal-fired generation in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) fell from year-earlier levels for the 12th consecutive month in October, despite relatively flat overall electricity dispatch in the grid.

In the news today…

Media Alert:

• Thanks to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Colo.) and Fairbanks Daily News Miner (Alaska) for carrying my new op-ed advising rather than race to dismantle more coal plants, the U.S. must recognize the essential utility of its remaining coal fleet as a reliability and affordability backstop.

Coal:

• Delaware Valley Journal reports President Joe Biden’s West Coast comments about shutting down all coal electricity production are not playing well in the deep-purple state of Pennsylvania, where the coal industry is still a significant player in the state’s economy.
• E&E Energywire reports the battle between Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Republican challenger Mark Ronchetti could affect oil, gas, renewables and a proposal for one of the largest carbon capture projects in the world.

Mining:

• S&P Global reports the Biden administration is pouring cash into extracting crucial minerals from coal waste as corporate and academic optimism for the technology grows.
• Carscoops reports the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) continues to be at the center of a debate among automakers, suppliers, and other parties.

Energy:

• Yahoo! Finance reports in the runup to the US midterm elections, another energy cost is coming into focus: skyrocketing electricity bills.

Happy Friday!

In the news today…

Grid:

• Utility Dive reports that Federal regulators rejected a complaint by an Iowa coalition of large energy users and consumer advocates that sought lower rates for building out transmission.

Coal:

• E&E Greenwire reports more than 90 percent of the coal-fired power plants that EPA regulates are home to ash dumps that are actively contaminating groundwater, with the majority violating federal law, according to a new analysis of utility-reported data.
• Argus reports US thermal coal exports slipped from year-earlier levels in September despite still relatively robust demand from Europe.
• Bloomberg reports last November in Glasgow, the world’s climate leaders were locked in a fierce debate over whether the final draft of the summit’s agreement should include a pledge to “phase-out” or “phase-down” coal. Since then, the more appropriate term would probably be “phase-up.”

Mining:

• Mining.com reports Lithium Americas plans to separate its North American and Argentine businesses into two independent public companies by the end of the year, it said on Thursday.
• Inside EPA reports House Democrats are urging EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to bolster scrutiny of Clean Water Act (CWA) dredge-and-fill permit applications, measures that could complicate any new push to overhaul federal permitting either in the upcoming lame-duck session or in the new Congress when Republicans are expected to control at least one chamber.

Minerals:

• Washington Post carries an editorial which there are benefits to letting China process lithium.
• E&E Energywire reports experts are ever more worried that automakers’ big plans to make millions of electric vehicles — and slow the pace of climate change — could stumble because miners and refiners simply won’t be able to satisfy their hunger for critical minerals.

World News:

• E&E Energywire reports one of Europe’s greenest utilities, Ørsted A/S, is set to make more money this year thanks in part to burning more coal as Europe turns to the fuel to provide energy security.

Media Alert:

• Thanks to MSN.com for carrying my new op-ed on why the U.S. must recognize the essential utility of its remaining coal fleet as a reliability and affordability backstop.

In the news today…

Permitting:

• Washington Examiner reports leaders on both sides of the aisle see the challenges when it comes to permitting reform, but “everybody agrees” that it’s necessary.
• Politico Pro reports Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), said on Tuesday that he is attempting to get permitting reform legislation tacked onto the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act expected to hit the floor later this month.

Coal:

• Bloomberg reports as many as 40 US coal-fired power plants that were slated to shut will run for longer than expected, with operators delaying plans to retire them as supply-chain issues and reliability concerns slow the transition to greener energy.

World News:

• Politico Pro reports the Canadian government has ordered three foreign state-owned firms to divest from three critical mineral companies, citing national security concerns.
• New York Times reports China is burning more coal.

Politics:

• Energy Consult reports that shifts in energy voter demographics point to more conservatism.

In the news today…

Grid:

• Grist reports a transmission line fight in Maine reveals how hard it’ll be to build out the nationwide grid needed to expand clean energy and transition off fossil fuels.

Mining:

• E&E Greenwire reports the Forest Service indicated in a draft environmental review that it will greenlight plans for an Idaho gold mining project opposed by a nearby American Indian tribe and environmentalists.
• Canary Media reports that a Texas proposal to pay generators to remain available during grid emergencies could increase wholesale electricity costs by $22.5 billion from 2025 to 2030 according to a new report.

Coal:

• Argus corrects its reporting on the US utility Xcel Energy proposed closure of the coal-fired Tolk Generating Station in Texas to 2028.
• Argus reports Northern Appalachian coal producer Consol Energy trimmed its 2022 sales outlook following operational and geological “challenges” last quarter.

Media Alert:

• Thanks to The Bryan Times for carrying my new op-ed on why the U.S. must recognize the essential utility of its remaining coal fleet as a reliability and affordability backstop.

In the news today…

Grid:

• Utility Dive reports that Federal regulators approved a Southwest Power Pool proposal for spreading the costs of certain transmission projects in areas with large amounts of wind generation across its footprint.

Coal:

• Argus reports US coal producer Alliance Resource Partners expects strong domestic and international coal demand as utilities seek to replenish depleted coal stockpiles.
• Cleveland.com reports environmentalists are challenging a decision from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that guts an Ohio rule allowing citizens to bring federal nuisance lawsuits against industrial air polluters.
• Wisconsin Public Radio reports Xcel Energy plans to stop using coal nationwide by the end of 2030 after announcing Monday that it will speed up retirement of coal-fired units at its Tolk Generating Station in Texas.

Mining:

• Associated Press reports a plan for three open-pit gold mines in salmon habitat in east-central Idaho is one step closer to approval after the U.S. government selected the Canadian developer’s proposed plan for mitigating the project’s environment impact.