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.