15Nov

We Shouldn’t Turn Our Backs on Coal Power

Via The Eastern New Mexico News: We’re now getting an idea of just how expensive shutting down coal plants can be. A study by IHS Markit, an energy research firm, shows that higher electricity prices resulting from a loss of fuel diversity, due in large part to the shutdown of coal plants, could lead to […]
14Nov

The Chorus of Alarm Grows Louder

Fuel Security, like ball security for you football fans, is something you don’t think much about until you don’t have it. Unfortunately, the fuel security of the grid is no longer a sure thing. The loss of so much baseload power so fast is setting off a growing chorus of alarms. The latest voice to […]
07Nov

A Timely Reminder from Chairman Chatterjee

Despite the well-founded sense that the Clean Power Plan (CPP) is long gone, it remains a specter lurking just over the nation’s shoulder. The EPA’s proposed replacement rule, the Affordable Clean Energy rule, is just that, a proposal. Thoughtful, detailed work remains to get this welcome alternative over the finish line and ensure the Costly […]
05Nov

Energy Blend: Trapper Mine ‘good neighbor’ to Moffat County

Via The Craig Daily Press: Trapper Mine is a good neighbor, and it has the award to prove it. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement in August awarded Trapper Mine the Good Neighbor Award, which is given to mines for outstanding commitment and innovative in mining and reclamation practices. It is an award […]
02Nov

Coal’s Comeback

Via The Bluefield Daily Telegraph: Coal is making a comeback in southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia. In fact, hundreds of miners will soon be returning to work in Mercer, McDowell and Tazewell counties. The active coal operations, and the new workers they are hiring, will provide a boost to the region’s economy. Bluestone Resources, a […]
01Nov

Why We Need To Keep Coal In The Power Mix

Via Investor’s Business Daily:  Most American’s take electricity for granted, assuming when they flip a switch or plug in an appliance power will be available. But behind the power outlets is a huge and complex infrastructure that includes generation, transmission and distribution. In addition, each regional power grid has a “system operator” who makes sure […]
01Nov

A Return to Reason…and the Law

Comments were due this week on EPA’s ACE rule – a welcome return to reason on the heels of its predecessor rule: the Obama administration’s “signature” anti-coal rule, the costly power plan (CPP). Replacing the CPP with ACE brings the EPA back into the realm of the legal, appropriately respecting the balance between state and […]
29Oct

What’s Ahead for U.S. Electricity Demand This Winter?

Via The Morning Consult: The 2018 winter was rough. A “bomb cyclone” struck much of the eastern United States in late December and early January, plunging major cities into a deep freeze. Overall, it was a particularly cold season, and power demand rose considerably for home heating. With autumn now taking hold, some are wondering […]
24Oct

The Big Data Power Surge

It may not have blast furnaces and assembly lines, those iconic symbols of heavy industry, but there’s a new energy-intensive industry rising right before our eyes and its growth could very well upend forecasts for future electricity demand. This new heavy industry – and the infrastructure to support it – is the data industry. As […]