In the news today…
Grid:
- Utility Dive reports that U.S. Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois leads a group of lawmakers calling for $2.1 billion in federal funding to address a shortage of electrical transformers that are slowing grid distribution projects and making them more expensive.
- Bloomberg reports that the Texas grid operator expects power use to surge above what officials forecast to be the system’s winter peak this week as a cold front grips the region.
Coal:
- WyoFile reports Union Pacific Railway, one of two railroad companies that haul coal out of the Powder River Basin, is under fire for curtailing shipments to customers, including power plants.
- E&E Energywire reports some of the largest coal-burning power plants in the nation are being fast-tracked for retirement and replaced in part by cheaper, cleaner renewable energy — a trend that should accelerate following enactment of landmark federal climate legislation.
- The Hill reports global coal usage has reached an all-time high in 2022 amid the disruption of traditional trade flows, soaring costs and increased demand, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Minerals:
- Washington Examiner reports U.S. lithium supplier Ioneer said Monday that its Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron mining project in Nevada has advanced to the final stages of federal permitting, a milestone that puts it on track to begin production in 2026 amid soaring demand for the critical mineral stoked by the Democratic climate law.
Mining:
- Axios reports federal regulators began reviewing the Rhyolite Ridge lithium mine in Nevada, which is located close to an endangered flower.
- E&E Greenwire reports the Biden administration will formally analyze a proposed lithium-boron mine in southwest Nevada that would be located near a rare wildflower the Fish and Wildlife Service listed last week as an endangered species.