In the news today…
EPA:
- Politico Pro reports the Trump administration has rescheduled its public hearing on its proposed rewrite of the Waters of the U.S. rule for the end of February.
- Politico Pro and E&E Greenwire report EPA’s proposal that declares the Obama-era mercury rule for power plants to be not appropriate and necessary will be published in Thursday’s Federal Register, opening a 60-day comment period.
- E&E Greenwire reports three environmental and conservation groups are challenging EPA’s approach to fostering compliance with its 2015 ground-level ozone standard.
Coal:
- E&E Energywire reports Peabody said yesterday it would cease operations at the Kayenta mine on the Navajo and Hopi reservations in the third quarter of this year in anticipation of the Navajo Generating Station’s (NGS) scheduled closure in December.
- S&P Global reports both gas-fired and coal-fired power plants have weaknesses when it comes to fuel security, an official from PJM told state energy officials Wednesday, highlighting the importance of fuel diversity in the broader conversation of grid resilience.
- Casper Star Tribune reports Peabody has reduced the amount of coal it plans to produce from Wyoming’s North Antelope Rochelle mining complex this year by 10 million tons, the company announced Wednesday following the firm’s release of quarterly earnings.
Clean Water Act:
- E&E Greenwire reports the Army Corps of Engineers has directed the agency to slash state review of Section 404 permits under the Clean Water Act.
Energy Policy:
- E&E Greenwire reports the new head Democrat of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy offered a preview today of how the panel will look to advance clean energy technologies over the next two years. The strategy, heavily focused on funding research and development as well as expanding the use of the national laboratories, appears to be an emerging trend in the short term for the Democrats in charge of overseeing the DOE.
Uranium:
- Politico Pro reports the nuclear power industry is feuding with U.S. mining firms over a request for President Trump to impose import restrictions on uranium in the name of protecting U.S. national security.
World News:
- Axios Expert Voices contributors Sagatom Sah and David Livingston write that the controversial election of Felix Tshisekedi to the presidency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at the end of last year raises many new questions about the country’s future, especially with respect to the global cobalt market. Cobalt is an important component in electric vehicle batteries.