In the news today…
Coal:
- The Wall Street Journal reports instead of stashing away cash for tough times, coal producers spent billions of dollars in dividends and stock buybacks to benefit their investors.
- Washington Examiner reports fossils fuels, particularly coal, have been harder hit by the coronavirus crisis than renewables.
- The Hill carries an op-ed which argues the coronavirus crisis only highlights why reinvestment in coalfields in Arizona is critical.
- Bloomberg reports Consol Energy Inc.’s effort to push rival coal company Murray Energy Corp. into liquidation is aimed at shuttering mines and reducing output in an oversupplied industry, according to the largest U.S. coal miners’ union.
Carbon Capture:
- Washington Examiner reports the Carbon Capture Coalition is re-upping its request that Congress provide a “direct pay” option for the 45Q federal tax credits and extend the deadline by which projects must begin construction to qualify.
- Politico Pro reports nearly $900 million in claimed carbon capture tax credits over a decade failed to follow EPA guidelines requiring companies to prove they successfully sequestered the carbon dioxide, according to the IRS’s inspector general.
Minerals:
- AZ Big Media reports environmentalists say uranium mining near the Grand Canyon is unwanted and unneeded.
- The Ripon Advance reports U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) on April 28 introduced legislation that would put an end to America’s dependence on foreign nations for critical minerals by bolstering the nation’s domestic supply chain.
- Power reports the nation’s nuclear industry this week blazed ahead on efforts to energize a U.S. commercial fuel supply that it says will be crucial for the widespread development and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors.
World News:
- Forbes reports Britain has gone three weeks without using coal for energy.