In the news today…
Coal:
- E&E Daily reports activists yesterday asked Congress to consider three bills that would help coal communities, including the RECLAIM Act and a bill to reauthorize the AML fee.
- Inside Climate News reports not only are coal plants closing at an accelerated rate, but the remaining plants are running at lower capacity.
- The Citizens’ Voice carries an editorial arguing it is time for President Trump to back bills such as the RECLAIM Act and the Black Lung Benefits Disability Trust Fund Solvency Act in order to help those in coal regions.
- Altoona Mirror carries an editorial which argues that coal’s outlook is bleak and efforts to support the industry have not gained traction.
- Argus reports Wolverine Fuels and Levin Richmond Terminal have filed separate lawsuits against Richmond, California, over its ordinance that bans coal and petroleum coke handling and storage.
- Argus reports the EIA will release its Short-Term Energy Outlook on March 11, a day later than planned.
- E&E Energywire reports the Department of Energy found that baseload generation is crucial to having affordable and reliable power during extreme weather.
- E&E Energywire reports Virginia lawmakers have moved to give regulators more control over managing early retirements of coal and gas power plants.
- The Wall Street Journal carries an editorial which argues the blockage of the joint venture between Arch Coal and Peabody Energy is part of the movement to kill coal.
Minerals
- The Missoulian carries an op-ed urging readers to support hardrock mining legislation through reformation of the General Mining Law of 1872.
- Mining.com reports Freeport-McMoRan announced that it will grow its copper and gold volumes by 30 to 40 percent; its Lone Star project in Arizona is nearing completion to help this.
- Mining.com reports a new filtration technique for extracting lithium is being developed to cut filtration time down to hours.
American Energy Innovation Act:
- E&E Daily reports bipartisan frustration over the lack of a vote on curbing superpolluting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) derailed the energy package that was widely expected to pass before the end of the week.
NEPA:
- Inside EPA reports an appellate court vacated a NEPA review the U.S. Forest Service conducted as part of a plan to open area in Colorado to coal mining.
- Bloomberg Environment reports five Democratic senators asked the White House to reconsider its plan to reform NEPA in a letter.