In the news today…
Coal:
- E&E Greenwire reports three Democrats running for Kentucky governor debated over the future of Appalachian coal.
- The Salt Lake Tribune reports the resumption of coal leasing on federal lands requires an environmental review.
- Solar Magazine reports the Navajo Nation is preparing to switch from coal-powered energy to solar energy, using the coal power plants and mines as locations for new solar energy-fueled power systems.
- Ars Technica reports the dangers of switching to natural gas for energy purposes, as methane leaks would not be safer than coal emissions.
- Inside Climate News reports efforts to save coal plants are failing as economics point to renewable energy as the best option.
- WUWM reports the Milwaukee County Board voted against allowing We Energies’ Oak Creek power plant to raise its daily maximum discharge of mercury into Lake Michigan.
- Politico reports Wisconsin’s We Energies is the latest utility to leave a group that lobbied on behalf of coal-burning utilities against Obama-era air regulations.
- S&P Global reports the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission has rejected a Vectren proposal to build a natural gas-fired facility to replace three coal-fired power plants.
- Oregon Public Broadcasting and Argus report a new economic analysis says customers could save about $248 million over 20 years if PacificCorp retires four of its Wyoming coal units by 2022.
- Billings Gazette reports the ‘Save Colstrip’ plan falls through on the last day the Montana legislature is in session.
- The Casper Star Tribune reports Powder River Basin coal demand could fall between 1 to 3 percent per year according to Arch Coal.
- Argus reports coal-fired generation in the US fell by 2.3 percent in February as natural gas continues to grow.
- S&P Global reports PJM Interconnection initiated the process to develop a regional or sub-regional approach to pricing carbon emissions into its wholesale power markets.
EPA:
- E&E Greenwire reports the comments for the proposed WOTUS rule are filled with datasets previously ignored by the Trump administration.
- InsideEPA reports EPA is expected to “fix” several problems in its proposal to ease new source review (NSR) permitting rule for coal plants, which is now being split from the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule.