In the news today…
Mining:
- Elko Daily Free Press reports it’s the 150th anniversary of the Mining Law of 1872, and the fact that it’s an anniversary year may be adding to legislative momentum to push for reforms to the law.
Energy:
- E&E Energywire reports House Energy and Commerce Republicans fired off letters yesterday pressing the Biden administration for answers on how it will prepare for a summer of forecast blackouts across the West and Midwest.
- Bloomberg reports the Biden administration is pushing lawmakers to support a $4.3 billion plan to buy enriched uranium directly from domestic producers to wean the US off Russian imports of the nuclear-reactor fuel, according to a person familiar with the matter.
- Washington Post carries an op-ed which argues blackouts are our next major problem.
Coal:
- Argus reports the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) again lowered its outlook for domestic coal consumption in 2022 amid limited rail capacity for fuel delivery, low coal stocks at power plants, reduced coal mining capacity, and higher generation from renewable sources.
- Argus reports US thermal coal exports reached a 13-month high in April as international buyers sought to restock supply and some US coals held larger competitive price advantages to other seaborne markets.
- Virginia Mercury reports Virginia coal production remains high, fueled by ongoing demand for steel as the U.S. embarks on an ambitious program of infrastructure investment and disruptions in energy markets linked to the war in Ukraine.
Minerals/Metals:
- Washington Post reports the struggle to re-open the Alcoa Intalco aluminum smelter shows the difficulties of creating green manufacturing jobs at home.
- Washington Post reports the world’s epic shift into electric vehicles needs to overcome a major obstacle: how to meet rocketing demand for batteries, the vital component, while cutting the cost to help the cars go mainstream.
World News:
- Wall Street Journal reports idle uranium mines are slowly coming back to life as countries rethink their energy security and shift away from coal.