Good Monday morning!
In the news today and from the weekend…
Grid:
- Jefferson City News Tribune reports that Missouri regulators heard competing concerns and support for the Grain Belt Express transmission project during public hearings last week.
- Bloomberg reports that the Texas power grid may need the “Breath of God” to keep cool this summer. The Texas electric grid’s ability to provide enough summertime energy may hinge on whether renewable sources can meet growing demand that’s already sapped fossil fuel and nuclear power supplies.
Mining:
- Wall Street Journal reports U.S. and EU talk of collaborating to ensure energy security in the renewable age. A bigger priority should be strengthening trade links with big mining nations.
- E&E Greenwire reports President Joe Biden is seeking a funding boost for federal oversight of mine safety as the nation scrambles to ramp up mineral production for the energy transition, warning that a loss of federal staffers has fueled unsafe conditions.
Coal:
- Argus reports US green petroleum coke exports rose in January to the highest since January 2020, reaching the eighth-largest monthly total in data going back more than 20 years. Shipments to Asia-Pacific nearly doubled on the year, and the US also increased dispatches to Europe and Africa.
- E&E Climatewire reports Utah’s largest coal company will relinquish two mining leases and apply the social cost of carbon in the environmental analysis of a third lease as part of a settlement agreement reached last week with environmental groups and the federal government.