In the news today…

 Coal:

• The Billings Gazette and Colorado Sun re-run the article by Associated Press concerning the conclusion by officials that lifting the coal leasing moratorium would have little effect on emissions.
• Inside EPA reports the Bureau of Land Management has begun a NEPA review of its decision to end the coal leasing moratorium; in a May 22 draft environmental assessment it concluded that lifting the lease moratorium would have a negligible effect on emissions.
• Axios reports coal could be used to make high-tech products in a new route to boost the coal industry, according to a report commissioned by the DOE.
• E&E Greenwire reports Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) revived her bill to block future interruptions of federal coal leasing by requiring Congress to sign off on any attempt by the Interior Department to halt coal leasing.
• NPR reports new opportunities for transitioning retired coal plants to other uses.
• The Billings Gazette reports Westmoreland Mining LLC is asking the state of Montana reconsider before allowing Colstrip Power Plant to buy coal from another supplier as the loss would put hundreds of mining jobs at stake.
• E&E News PM reports House Natural Resources Chairman Grijalva wrote three letters to the Interior Department, one of which urged for a full environmental impact statement to review the decision to end the coal leasing moratorium.
• The Columbus Dispatch reports the new version of a clean energy bill would bail out two coal plants in Ohio.
• E&E Energywire reports the Ohio clean air bill which provides subsidies for a pair of coal plants was approved in committee on Thursday and makes its way to the House floor.
• Bloomberg reports the Sierra Club and Charles Koch both hate an Ohio bill to take away renewable subsidies and give them to coal and nuclear plants.
• The Hill reports presidential candidate Julian Castro declared he will refuse contributions to his White House bid by oil, gas and coal industry executives.

 Mining:

• E&E Climatewire reports BHP Group, with a pessimistic outlook on coal, is looking towards other options such as copper and nickel sulfide.

 White House:

• E&E Greenwire reports the Council on Environmental Quality is expecting a fast White House review process as it prepares to release new rules on how the federal government should implement the National Environmental Policy Act.

 Carbon Capture:

• The Washington Examiner reports presidential candidate John Delaney has released a $4 trillion plan to fight climate change, which includes $5 billion a year to reduce the cost of carbon capture technology and a $20 billion “carbon throughway” pipeline.
• E&E Daily reports the Senate version of the annual defense authorization bill includes a provision to boost the military’s energy security through carbon capture technology.

 World News:

• E&E Energywire reports more and more of Asia’s biggest banks are no longer providing loans or extending credit to new coal-fired power plants, posing long-term challenges to exporters in the U.S.

In the news today…

Minerals:

• Bloomberg reports rare earth minerals characterize a tech vulnerability for the U.S. in its trade war with China.

Coal:

• EIA reports U.S. coal stockpiles decreased to 98.7 million tons in February 2019, their lowest value in more than a decade.
• Gizmodo reports cases of black lung may be increasing due to modern technology uncovering thinner layers of coal with more layers of rock, producing more silica dust.
• The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports Gov. Jim Justice’s family companies filed a lawsuit against OSMRE for reneging on an agreement concerning unpaid penalties and reclamation fees.
• E&E Climatewire reports 21 youths are suing the government, asking for a moratorium on all federal fossil fuel permitting, including mining.
• Bloomberg reports BHP Group, the world’s biggest miner, has a grim outlook for thermal coal and won’t add production as it prioritizes growth in commodities tied to the shift to renewable energy and electric transport.
• Argus reports the National Coal Council recommends DOE should invest in technologies to expand the uses of coal beyond power production.
• Argus reports demand for coal has failed to pick up heading into summer as average profits for power producers using the fuel have fallen to seasonal seven-year lows across most of the central and eastern U.S.
• E&E Daily reports House appropriators outlined an extra $5 million in grant funding for struggling coal communities that largely blame the party for coal’s troubles.

EPA:

• E&E Daily reports Tuesday House Democrats and a string of witnesses denounced EPA’s plans for revisiting its regulations on power industry mercury emissions.

Carbon Capture:

• Mining.com reports both environmentalists and fossil fuel industry representative have vested interests in carbon capture technology and met in Wyoming to strategize on ways to get commercial carbon capture and storage off the ground across the U.S.
• E&E Energywire reports a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corp. is teaming up with a Canadian company to design the world’s largest plant to remove CO2 from the air in Texas.

Supreme Court:

• E&E Greenwire reports the Maui County Council’s Governance, Ethics and Transparency Committee met for more than five hours yesterday, but no decision has been made on whether to settle the CWA case pending at the Supreme Court.

In the news today…

Coal:

• Crain’s Cleveland Business reports the demand for coal is dropping due to market forces, not the government.
• The Flathead Beacon, Tech Know Bits, the Mayfield Recorder, Power Engineering and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch carry a previously run article stating demand for coal is losing ground to renewables and natural gas.
• The Dayton Daily News reports nearly 100,000 coal miners are at risk of losing their pensions and are petitioning lawmakers to vote on bills to save their pensions.
• The Casper Star Tribune carries a column arguing for support for coal miners’ pensions in the wake of mine company bankruptcies and coal mine closures.
• CBS News reports climate activist Bill McKibben advocates abandoning coal as soon as possible and moving straight to renewable energy.
• Vox reports that the world’s richest institutions, such as Harvard, invest in fossil fuels, and activists want to change that.
• CBS News reports many coal miners are switching over to jobs in renewable energy, such as wind generated power, as coal mining employment prospects decrease.
• The Cap Times carries an op-ed by Don Wichert in which he states that Madison Gas & Electric’s portfolio remains dominated by coal, despite investments into renewable energies.

Minerals:

• PoliticoPro reports the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will consider two bills today aimed at reducing U.S. dependence on foreign minerals. The hearing begins at 10 AM.
• PoliticoPro reports Sen. Murkowski will “take a look at” the hardrock mining reform bill, but was not optimistic about the legislation.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Coal:

• The Billings Gazette reports Montana’s congressional Republicans are backing a tax break on refined coal in hopes of sparking investment in Colstrip Power Plant.
• Wyoming Public Media reports Rocky Mountain Power is proposing to reduce capacity at the coal-fired Jim Bridger power plant in order to lower emissions.
• The Washington Post runs a negative article stating President Trump’s pro-coal agenda has overridden attempts to protect endangered species.
• The Casper Star Tribune, Fox News and Argus report Cloud Peak filed for bankruptcy on Friday.
• Argus reports new U.S. coal plants will be smaller, cleaner and more efficient, according to a DOE official, and will fill the gaps renewables cannot support.
• E&E Energywire reports the fight over the Washington coal export terminal heads to the 9^th Circuit to challenge Washington state’s blockage of the project.
• WSAZ reports Consol Energy Inc. expects to open a metallurgical coal mine in southwestern West Virginia in 2021.

Minerals:

• E&E Daily reports the Senate will hold a hearing on two bills, the American Mineral Security Act and Rare Earth Element Advanced Coal Technologies Act, which focus on import reliance for critical minerals.

Supreme Court/EPA:

• E&E Greenwire and Inside EPA report the Maui County submitted a brief breaking down the language in their court case, County of Maui v. Hawai’i Wildlife Fund, a case with sweeping implications for Clean Water Act permitting.

Energy Policy:

• E&E Daily reports two congressional panels this week will look at how best to deliver the next generation of clean energy, including legislation to bolster research into carbon capture and storage technology.

World News:

• CNN reports the UK went a full week, from May 1 to May 8, without burning coal, the first time since 1882 when the first coal-fired power plant started running.

In the news today…

Coal:

• Greentech Media reports PacifiCorp is taking the first steps to replacing its coal-fired power plants with wind, solar and energy storage resources.
• E&E Greenwire reports the Interior Department has approved the expansion of a New Mexico coal mine despite the expectation that it will soon lose its only customer and close.
• S&P Global reports Peabody states a 14.4 percent drop in revenue compared to the first quarter of last year, though executives remain optimistic.
• The Salt Lake Tribune and Argus report Kennecott Utah Copper is shutting down its last coal power plant in Magna and shifting to renewable energy.
• U.S. News and E&E Energywire report the Justice Department has started a civil investigation into the coal-fueled power plant that Mississippi Power Co. had been building in Kemper County, Mississippi.
• E&E Energywire reports dying coal plants are being transformed into facilities for the wind industry.

Minerals:

• S&P Global reports the rise of renewable energy could be a boon for global mining companies but could also raise scrutiny to corporate responsibility practices.
• Transport Topics reports the US trails China and other countries in lithium mining, essential for EV batteries.
• PoliticoPro reports a Canadian official says he’s pressing for the Trump administration to forgo import restrictions on uranium that would hurt Canada’s mining industry.

Technology:

• Inside EPA reports House Democrats are dragging their feet to advance legislation to further encourage carbon capture, utilization and storage technology.

In the news today…

Energy Policy:

• E&E Energywire reports the Interior Department’s efforts to expand development of federal oil, gas and coal have suffered some recent courtroom setbacks.
• E&E Daily reports Democrats are expected to push for more renewable energy development on federal lands during a House Natural Resources oversight hearing tomorrow where the Trump administration’s energy policies are expected to take center stage.

Coal:

• Oilprice.com reports a wave of clean energy policies in states is killing coal.
• The Washington Examiner reports the Trump administration could be turning away from coal in Appalachia.
• E&E Greenwire reports there is uncertainty around the future of MATS, with some believing it could be withdrawn in its entirety.
• E&E Greenwire reports the Brayton Point Power Station in Massachusetts had its cooling towers demolished this weekend; the site will be turned into a multi-use facility mainly dedicated to supporting offshore wind farms.
• E&E News PM reports Sen. Cory Booker calls for not only reauthorizing the Abandoned Mine Land fee but also doubling the rates coal companies pay for every ton of coal mined.
• E&E Energywire reports an alternative to coal which involves turning trash into a fuel opened last month, and EPA has set a 30 percent limit on how much of the new fuel can be used as a supplement to coal.
• The Washington Examiner reports Energy Secretary Rick Perry says switching the nation to 100 percent renewable energy would lead to permanent black outs without more reliable power plants.
• NorthcentralPA.com reports Pennsylvania lawmakers on Friday announced the re-organization of the Legislative Coal Caucus, a bipartisan, bicameral legislative caucus that focuses on supporting and enhancing Pennsylvania’s coal mining industry.
• The Sun Times reports Powder River Basin coal demand could fall between 1 to 3 percent per year, according to one of the basin’s largest producers, Arch Coal.
• KTWO and the Casper Star Tribune report Wyoming governor Mark Gordon has serious reservations about the potential early retirement of units at two Wyoming coal-fired power plants due to the loss of jobs and the discouragement it brings to clean coal technology development.
• Bloomberg reports federal judges have repeatedly gotten in the way of President Trump’s “energy dominance” policy to bolster fossil fuels such as coal.
• S&P Global reports a PacifiCorp study confirms that coal is being pushed out of the market, and the company presented analysis showing customers could save money if four units were retired early.

Minerals:

• WKBN reports the Pennsylvania Winner Development Company will use a federal grant to see if rare earth elements can be cost-effectively extracted from coal ash.
• DesignNews reports a new copper-based material could be used to replace more expensive precious metals like silver and gold in next-generation and printed electronics.

EPA:

• PoliticoPro, InsideEPA and E&E Greenwire report a federal court faulted EPA for omitting questions from a list companies must answer to keep chemical identities “confidential” under the updated Toxic Substances Control Act.
• PoliticoPro and InsideEPA report EPA plans to allow Texas to shield the state’s power plants, refineries and other industrial plants from civil penalties for pollution emitted during malfunctions.

World News:

• E&E Energywire reports German energy company RWE won’t invest in new coal-fired power stations as “new coal-fired power stations no longer have a place in [its] future-oriented strategy”.

In the news today…

Coal:

• E&E Greenwire reports three Democrats running for Kentucky governor debated over the future of Appalachian coal.
• The Salt Lake Tribune reports the resumption of coal leasing on federal lands requires an environmental review.
• Solar Magazine reports the Navajo Nation is preparing to switch from coal-powered energy to solar energy, using the coal power plants and mines as locations for new solar energy-fueled power systems.
• Ars Technica reports the dangers of switching to natural gas for energy purposes, as methane leaks would not be safer than coal emissions.
• Inside Climate News reports efforts to save coal plants are failing as economics point to renewable energy as the best option.
• WUWM reports the Milwaukee County Board voted against allowing We Energies’ Oak Creek power plant to raise its daily maximum discharge of mercury into Lake Michigan.
• Politico reports Wisconsin’s We Energies is the latest utility to leave a group that lobbied on behalf of coal-burning utilities against Obama-era air regulations.
• S&P Global reports the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission has rejected a Vectren proposal to build a natural gas-fired facility to replace three coal-fired power plants.
• Oregon Public Broadcasting and Argus report a new economic analysis says customers could save about $248 million over 20 years if PacificCorp retires four of its Wyoming coal units by 2022.
• Billings Gazette reports the ‘Save Colstrip’ plan falls through on the last day the Montana legislature is in session.
• The Casper Star Tribune reports Powder River Basin coal demand could fall between 1 to 3 percent per year according to Arch Coal.
• Argus reports coal-fired generation in the US fell by 2.3 percent in February as natural gas continues to grow.
• S&P Global reports PJM Interconnection initiated the process to develop a regional or sub-regional approach to pricing carbon emissions into its wholesale power markets.

EPA:

• E&E Greenwire reports the comments for the proposed WOTUS rule are filled with datasets previously ignored by the Trump administration.
• InsideEPA reports EPA is expected to “fix” several problems in its proposal to ease new source review (NSR) permitting rule for coal plants, which is now being split from the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule.

In the news today…

Coal:

• Wyoming Public Media reports President Trump’s push for more energy development on federal lands suffered a setback last week when a federal judge ruled that his administration didn’t look at environmental impacts before lifting an Obama-era freeze on new coal leases.
• The Casper Star Tribune reports the ruling that the Trump administration illegally lifted the moratorium on coal leasing leaves open what will happen next with the coal program review.
• Phys.org reports the shift from coal to gas is better for the environment, citing a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
• Argus reports the first quarter production in Powder River basin fell by 12.9 percent, led by declines at properties with higher heat-content coal.
• PoliticoPro reports sixteen environmental groups argue that the president’s executive orders which change states’ authority under the Clean Water Act can only be changed by Congress.
• Associated Press reports Former EPA chief Scott Pruitt has likely failed in his efforts to block the closure of several coal-fired plants in Indiana.
• S&P Global reports coal producer Ramaco has won an important legal victory in Wyoming after a Wyoming District Court judge ruled that the company’s proposed Brook Mining mine be allowed to extract coal beneath surface land near Sheridan.

Minerals:

• Reuters reports German carmaker BMW will buy cobalt, a key component for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, directly from mines in Australia and Morocco to ensure they are not produced by child labor, an executive said on Tuesday.
• E&E Energywire reports uranium companies and electric utilities are in a lobbying face off over a proposal to protect American uranium miners by mandating trade quotas.

EPA:

• E&E Greenwire reports the clarification on the scope of the Clean Water Act relating to groundwater dispersions may cause more confusion in the short term, and will likely remain so until the Supreme Court gives a ruling.

Energy:

• Argus reports Nevada doubled its renewable energy mandate as Gov. Steve Sisolak signed into law SB 358.

Climate:

• InsideEPA reports Virginia air regulators have finalized a regulation that imposes a declining cap on carbon emissions from state utilities and is intended to allow trading with RGGI cap-and-trade programs; Gov. Ralph Northam has until May 3 to issue any veto.
• Vox reports the US bears the most responsibility for carbon emissions, having the largest cumulative CO2 emissions since 1750.

Thanks to the The Tribune-Democrat (PA) and the Deseret News (UT) for carrying my op-ed in which I contend that the coal is necessary for generating electricity due to its reliability as a stable, baseload power generator.

In the news today…

Coal:

• E&E Energywire reports the ruling by Judge Brian Morris ordering the Interior Department to make an environmental analysis before lifting a coal leasing moratorium puts the Trump administration’s attempts to bolster coal in jeopardy.
• Mountain West News Bureau reports Trump’s energy agenda faces a setback in the wake of a federal judge’s ruling on coal leasing.
• The Billings Gazette reports the Colstrip power plant faces an uncertain future as Washington state edges closer to banning coal by 2025.
• Utility Dive reports Nevada passed a bill that would require the state to generate 50 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2030 and 100 percent of its energy carbon-free by 2050.
• E&E Greenwire reports Scott Pruitt has joined RailPoint Solutions LLC, which appeared to be tied to Sunrise Coal LLC, in a bid to stop the closure of coal plants in Indiana.
• Reuters reports the Indiana Chamber of Commerce on Monday rejected a plea from former EPA chief Scott Pruitt to back legislation that would keep aging coal-fired power plants online because it would raise electricity rates for local businesses and homeowners.
• Bridge Magazine carries an interview with CEO Gerry Anderson, who discusses DTE Energy’s transition from coal to natural gas and renewables.
• The Eastern New Mexico News carries an op-ed by Jim Constantopolous, a geology professor at Eastern New Mexico University, in which he argues that out-of-market subsidies and mandates for wind and solar power are upending electricity markets and jeopardizing baseload, coal generation, the foundation of the grid.

Climate:

• Energy News Network reports even if Gov. Ralph Northam vetoes the bill that would halt Virginia’s link to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the General Assembly would still have power over the program through the power of the purse.
• KIRO Seattle reports Washington State has passed a 100 percent clean energy bill, which now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk; the bill would eliminate coal power by 2025 and transition to 100 percent clean and renewable energy by 2045.

EPA:

• E&E News PM reports Rep. Francis Rooney (R-Fla.) is urging EPA to halt its efforts to undo mercury emissions regulations for the power sector, adding a Republican voice to a chorus of opposition to the proposal.
• InsideEPA reports a selection from comments submitted to EPA on its proposal to eliminate the legal underpinning of MATS for power plants.
• PoliticoPro reports Rep. Francis Rooney wrote a letter to EPA urging it to keep the MATS rule in place due to risk to health benefits.
• InsideEPA reports industry and local government groups are bringing forward lawsuits to preserve or expand the current bar on EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers implementing their 215 CWA jurisdiction rule in certain states, pushing back from new Democratic governors who have withdrawn from similar suits.

World News:

• E&E Climatewire reports China’s move to boost coal won’t result in many new power plants because of greater profitability in the renewable energy sector.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Coal:

• The New York Times reports a federal judge ruled that the Interior Department acted illegally when it sought to lift an Obama-era moratorium on coal mining on public lands.
• E&E Energywire reports the Trump administration must make an environmental analysis before it can lift the Obama-era moratorium on coal leasing on public lands.
• The San Francisco Chronicle reports Montana state regulators have given final approval to a 70 million ton expansion of a southeastern coal mine, the Rosebud mine, that provides fuel to the Colstrip power plant.
• The Commercial Property Executive reports coal-fired power plants are coming to an end because the cost of renewables has dropped below the cost of coal-fired generation.
• CNN reports Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is still planning to visit Kentucky to talk to coal miners despite being uninvited by Rep. Andy Barr.
• Idaho State Journal carries an op-ed in which they state electricity from coal is on the decline and argue there are cleaner and less expensive sources of energy.
• The Cap Times carries a letter to the editor in which the author argues that Madison Gas and Electric should move away from coal and towards renewables.
• InsideEPA reports new research which suggests coal energy is becoming increasingly uncompetitive with renewable power.

EPA:

• InsideEPA reports industries are urging for greater narrowing of the Clean Water Act jurisdiction standard by placing new limits on regulating “traditional navigable waters”. NMA is mentioned.
• InsideEPA reports mounting evidence that carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is becoming increasingly advanced, which poses a problem for the EPA’s attempt to no longer base its greenhouse gas targets for new coal plants on CCS with partial capture. NMA’s comments are quoted.
• E&E Greenwire reports former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt registered with the Indiana Lobby Registration Commission as a self-employed consultant with RailPoint Solutions LLC, where he will lobby on energy and natural resources issues.

Climate:

• The Washington Post reports an Alabama plant is among the first carbon capture projects to begin sucking carbon dioxide out of the air.
• Axios reports a new study from the University of Chicago which finds that renewable energy mandates raise the price of electricity significantly, up to 17 percent after 12 years.
• S&P Global Platts reports the Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board approved a regulation to reduce and cap carbon dioxide emissions from large fossil fuel-fired power plants.
• The Associated Press reports Americans burned a record amount of energy in 2018, with a 10 percent jump in consumption.

Good Friday morning!

I’ve been out of pocket for a few days, so I haven’t been able to post. It’s good to be back online!

In the news today…

Coal:

• The Columbus Dispatch reports an advisory board which oversees Ohio’s coal-mining reclamation fund will look into a reinsurance policy to help shoulder the financial burden should one of the largest permit holders abandon its mine.
• Public News Service reports the RECLAIM Act will give coal communities $1 billion to clean up abandoned mines and boost local economies.
• Utility Dive reports the Sierra Club wants Arkansas regulators to direct SWEPCO to update and refile its IRP to include an economic analysis of shuttering the Dolet Hills coal plant.
• InsideEPA reports Republicans see no advantage to a coal visit with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; the previously offered invitation was taken back by Rep. Andy Barr.
• The Hill and Grist report the Mueller report reveals Russian social media accounts targeted U.S. division over the coal industry as part of its effort to sway the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
• Bloomberg reports global coal markets are up but American miners are still losing due to the competition with natural gas in the U.S.
• The Indianapolis Star reports former U.S. EPA head Scott Pruitt has registered as an energy lobbyist in Indiana as fossil fuel companies seek to block the planned closure of coal plants.
• MiBiz reports a proposed settlement between Consumers Energy and environmental groups would move up the closure of a large coal plant in Michigan.
• Argus reports environmental groups are suing the Interior Department in hopes of blocking Alton Coal Development from expanding its coal mine in Utah.

EPA:

• E&E News PM reports a coalition of 21 attorneys general submitted comments urging EPA not to withdraw the legal justification for its limits on power plant mercury emissions.
• InsideEPA reports a former EPA air chief warns environmentalists and Democratic states that they lack legal standing to challenge the rollback on MATS because they cannot show any injury from undoing the finding.

Thanks to The Capital Times for carrying my new op-ed in which I explain that Wisconsin’s new clean energy plan is not feasible as it will drive costs exponentially high and negatively impact grid reliability.

In the news today…

Coal:

• The Indianapolis Star reports Energy Policy Network is fighting to keep coal plants open across state lines.
• Argus reports the Illinois Department of Natural Resources approved a mining permit for Hallador Energy subsidiary Sunrise Coal’s proposed Bulldog coal mine.
• Argus reports US thermal coal producer B&W Resources plans to open a new mine in Kentucky in coming weeks.
• Argus reports the Western Coal Traffic League is trying to force the US Surface Transportation Board to act on a long-pending review of an index used to measure diesel fuel costs.
• The Washington Examiner reports the Global Energy Institute launched polling that found, among other things, that a majority of Americans prefer investments in new innovative energy technologies to mandates like those in the Green New Deal and that 79 percent of voters support President Trump’s executive order from Wednesday concerning states’ ability to oppose energy infrastructure.
• The Casper Star Tribune reports according to Moody’s Investor Service, the Powder River Basin’s coal production will continue to decline.
• The Augusta Free Press and Argus report bipartisan legislation to revitalize coal country by giving communities the funds they need to clean up abandoned mine lands, the RECLAIM Act, was introduced Tuesday.

Mining:

• Reuters reports Rio Tinto will join a World Bank initiative intended to help developing countries sustainably mine lithium, cobalt and other minerals critical to the global electrification trend.
• PoliticoPro reports two mining companies, Ur-Energy USA and Energy Fuels Resources, have contended that the imports are pushing U.S. uranium production to the brink of collapse, potentially creating a national security risk that would undermine the military.

EPA:

• InsideEPA reports state regulators say EPA’s proposed Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction rule will leave them with uncertain and potentially costly burdens to regulate water bodies that the rule would leave to state discretion, including dealing with losses in federal funding and duplicating federal programs that would be cut back under a narrow reading of the CWA.

White House:

• The Washington Examiner reports President Trump’s executive order restricting states’ rights is counter to previous policies allowing states to determine the curbing of greenhouse gases.
• The Washington Post reports President Trump’s executive orders concerning the Clean Water Act want to cut the states out in order to build more pipelines.

Department of the Interior:

• PoliticoPro, The Hill and the Washington Examiner report the Senate confirmed David Bernhardt to serve as Secretary of the Interior.

In the news today…

Coal:

• McClatchy reports on Tuesday’s hearing, which centered on a proposed ban on mountaintop removal mining until a health study can be conducted. Opponents to the ban warned that coal production across Appalachia could be shuttered by such action.
• Washington Examiner reports coal-fired plants kept electricity on during cold snaps, but also argues that all power supplies are stretched by extreme cold and suggests the answer is to increase transmission lines across states.
• Utility Dive reports three coal-related bills passed in Montana, from setting wages at plants through the end of generation activity to transition aids to providing low-interest loans for coal-fired generation.
• The Champaign News-Gazette reports Sunrise Coal is one permit closer to opening the Bulldog Mine in eastern Illinois. Sunrise Coal still requires a permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Mining:

• E&E Greenwire provides a background of ‘Mine 9’, the upcoming movie about coal miners trapped in an Appalachian mine.

Clean Water Act:

• InsideEPA reports President Trump will issue an executive order to have EPA “review and update” its policies governing state reviews of federal projects under section 401 of the Clean Water Act with the aim to reduce delays in permitting and development of energy infrastructure projects.
• E&E Daily reports Republican senators reintroduced a bill which limit the time states have to review Clean Water Act permits and limit states’ ability to block Clean Water Act permits.
• PoliticoPro reports President Trump aims to curtail states’ power to block new energy projects under the Clean Water Act.
• The Wall Street Journal reports Trump will sign two executive orders aimed at blunting the ability of environmental activists and state regulators to use the Clean Water Act to obstruct energy projects.

Carbon Capture and Storage:

• InsideEPA reports the Trump administration is planning to support carbon capture and storage more widely as an alternative to policies which cut greenhouse gas emissions.

World News:

• The New York Times reports the state of affairs in the Jiu Valley of Romania, once a thriving coal town.
• Utility Dive reports worldwide energy demand surged last year, with natural gas accounting for 45% of the rise and renewables increasing by 4% to a total of 25% of global output for 2018. Coal’s overall place has declined but demand for coal has risen slightly for two years.
• The Wall Street Journal reports on China’s dependence on coal and air quality concerns.