In the news today and from the weekend…
Coal:
- Associated Press and Montana Public Radio report a judge threw out a lawsuit Friday from a coalition of states, environmental groups and American Indians seeking to revive an Obama-era moratorium against U.S. government coal sales on public lands in the West.
- Politico Pro reports a federal judge on Friday said he’ll not second-guess the Interior Department’s justification for resuming coal leasing on federal lands, but noted the challengers still have another option.
- Casper Star Tribune reports coal firm Navajo Transitional Energy Company announced Thursday it will furlough 93 hourly workers and lay off eight salaried employees at its Antelope coal mine near Wright in response to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Biomass Magazine reports DOE plans to offer funding for new projects that gasify a mix of coal and biomass to generate electric power and a carbon-free hydrogen co-product.
- S&P Global reports weekly U.S. coal production was estimated at approximately 8.2 million st in the week ended May 16, down 1.6% from the previous week.
- E&E Climatewire reports coking coal remains strong globally during the coronavirus pandemic.
- E&E Energywire reports Wisconsin’s second largest electric utility on Friday said it will shut down its Edgewater coal-fired power plant on Lake Michigan by the end of 2022 as it continues a transition to cleaner energy.
Energy:
- Inside EPA reports the COVID-19 pandemic is driving a sudden “paradigm shift” in how utilities plan for resiliency to avoid power outages, boosting interest in microgrid and other technologies to stabilize renewables when large coal and gas plants shutter.
- Inside EPA reports investor groups, lawmakers and others are ramping up a fight over whether pending COVID-19 recovery legislation should support fossil fuels or zero-emission sustainable clean energy, creating a significant hurdle for Congress to overcome before advancing any bill.
- The Hill reports Republicans are pushing for assistance from the Trump administration for both the renewable energy and fossil fuel industries.
Minerals:
- E&E News PM and Mining.com report the Army Corps of Engineers has chosen its preferred plan for the proposed Pebble copper and gold mine.
- E&E Climatewire reports a shortage of mined minerals may provide a push for ocean mining.
MATS:
- Washington Examiner reports Westmoreland Mining is bringing the Trump administration to court over its revisions to the Obama-era mercury and air toxics standards.
Clean Water Act:
- E&E Daily reports top Republicans on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee are backing a Clean Water Act exemption for trains hauling coal and other polluting materials over the nation’s waters.