24Apr

When the Electricity Market Is the Problem

Via Morning Consult: “Allow the market to work” has been the catchphrase rebuttal whenever it’s suggested that the accelerating loss of America’s baseload, fuel-secure power plants threatens power grid reliability. Renewable and natural gas advocates have sung it from the rooftops. What their dismissal assumes — what their unshakeable faith in the market assumes — […]
23Apr

Wind, Solar Could Be More Costly Than They Seem

Via The Eastern New Mexico News:  Last year, virtually all new electricity generation in the United States came from natural gas and renewables like solar and wind. At first glance it appears these energy sources are winning the marketplace, but that’s hardly the whole story. Yes, the shale revolution has led to an abundance of […]
23Apr

Minnesota Should Keep Burning Clean, Beautiful Coal

Via Faribault Daily News: With President Trump’s recent visit to Minnesota, there is no better time to emphasize the fact that Minnesota would save $87.7 billion through 2050 by continuing to burn clean, beautiful coal to generate electricity instead of pursuing more wind and solar. Despite claims to the contrary, coal-fired electricity is far more […]
17Apr

Batteries: Great Promise, Even Greater Hype

Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere. From our smartphones, computers and tablets to electric vehicles, we are in the midst of a battery revolution. But for all the promise of batteries, there are limitations. There are physics problems that dictate how batteries can be used, or should be used, that need to inform our energy policy. Unfortunately, […]
16Apr

Utilities Warn of Threat to U.S. Power Grid

Via The Rockland Times: What’s more valuable: a brand new sports car or an old sedan? Obviously, the sports car. But what if that sports car has an empty gas tank? Suddenly, the perspective changes. Yes, the car may be “valuable,” but it’s not “useful.” It’s a simple analogy. But what if we extend the […]
16Apr

WV Coal Industry Looking to Recover After Decade of Production Downturn

Via WVNews: While much of the focus has shifted to West Virginia’s oil and gas industry in recent years, industry experts say coal still plays a big role in the Mountain State. The industry reached a production peak in 2008, when nearly 158 million short tons were mined. Over the next decade, production levels slowed […]
15Apr

Reader’s View: Lignite Coal Can Help Meet Carbon Goals

Via The Duluth News Tribune: I recall in 2008, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama campaigned on clean coal to get elected. I believe lignite coal is just that: clean coal. (This is in reference to the “Statewide View” column in the March 29 News Tribune, headlined, “Lignite coal can help meet carbon-free goals.”) In 2015, my […]
15Apr

Factories, Coal Mines Bring Income Relief to Some States

Via PewTrusts.org: High-paying blue-collar jobs lifted incomes in West Virginia, New York and Illinois last year, even though the states lost residents, while farmers and government workers shared the pain of more stagnant income in Nebraska, Maryland and Washington, D.C. The new per capita income numbers show how national policies and international markets directly affect […]
12Apr

Wisconsin Faces Challenges Posed by Clean Energy

Via The Cap Times: The election of Tony Evers as Wisconsin’s new governor heralded a clear shift in state politics. And Gov. Evers’ subsequent push to make utilities 100 percent “carbon-free” by 2050 would make Wisconsin a key state for renewable energy. But is his “clean energy” plan truly feasible? Right now, Wisconsin generates roughly 55 percent […]