In the news today and from the weekend…
Coal:
- Energy News Network reports a utility in Michigan is running coal plants even when cheaper resources are available, costing customers tens of millions of dollars a year.
- E&E Greenwire reports many coal companies, notably the Navajo Transitional Energy Co., owe massive royalties, which could leave taxpayers footing the bill for reclamation activity.
- S&P Global reports the finance world is increasingly considering environmental, social and governance factors in its investments, making it difficult for coal to find its place.
Mining:
- Juneau Empire reports Gov. Mike Dunleavy told the mining industry Alaska is open for business during an annual mining conference in British Columbia.
- Mining.com reports Newmont Goldcorp has earned a ‘B’ in the Carbon Disclosure Project’s climate change assessment.
FERC:
- Argus reports Bernard McNamee plans to step down from FERC later this year but has expressed willingness to stay in order to maintain the commission’s three-member voting quorum.
Carbon Capture:
- E&E Energywire reports DOE and the U.S. Energy Association will tour the U.S. this spring and summer on a carbon capture “roadshow” to bring together relevant parties to “hammer out solutions.”
- E&E Energywire reports Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon acknowledged that climate change is a man-made problem and suggests carbon capture technology as a possible solution.
Climate:
- Forbes reports the inconvenient facts surrounding the Australian bush fires-namely, according to the latest research looking at the issue, the role of human-caused climate change in Australian bush fires has not yet been detected.