24Mar

When Dispatchable Fuel Diversity Goes, Affordability Does Too

Coal power proved invaluable across the Midwest this February in keeping the lights on and homes warm during the deep freeze. But coal is not just a reliability backstop. As we’re now seeing, it’s also a critical piece of a balanced generation portfolio that holds down wholesale electricity prices. On the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) […]
24Mar

Study Says Coal is Still a Major Player in WV Economy

Via West Virginia MetroNews: Although the state’s coal industry has shrunk drastically in recent years, the West Virginia Coal Association touted  a new study which maintained the industry , along with coal fired power plants, are still a major economic driver in West Virginia’s economy. “We commissioned the study, but it was done by the […]
17Mar

The Existing Coal Fleet Is the Bridge We Need

With the energy transition underway, learning from the Texas grid crisis and building a path towards increased reliability is more urgent than ever. Additional variable power will be coming to grids across the country. At what pace and scale remains to be seen but ensuring reliability in the years ahead is shaping up to be […]
10Mar

The Path Forward Goes Through CCUS

Does the world have the technology solutions it needs to decarbonize? The answer, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) and technologists, including Bill Gates, is a resounding no. The ongoing debate about and relentless focus on near-term national emissions goals misses the bigger, far more important picture. The U.S. is likely to contribute 5% […]
09Mar

Coal, Steel Play Important Roles in US

Via the Duluth News Tribune: We need coal. When the ore or taconite leaves the Iron Range, it goes to the steel mills. At the mills, ore (iron oxide) is put into the blast furnace along with coke and limestone. Coke is processed from coal to remove impurities. When heated in the blast furnace, a […]
08Mar

Build it Back with Appalachian coal

Via The West Virginia State Journal: Tens of millions of Americans are now vaccinated, and millions more will be very soon. The U.S. appears to be turning the corner on the pandemic, and as we shift from just trying to hold the economy together to rebuilding and recovery, Appalachian miners are poised to take center […]
03Mar

Dispatchable Fuel Diversity is Invaluable 

Does fuel diversity matter? Or, to put a finer point on it, does dispatchable fuel diversity matter? If February taught us anything, the answer is a resounding yes. Along with the Texas grid disaster, there were two neighboring grids pushed to the brink by the same unrelenting cold but both fared much better. The Southwest […]
03Mar

In the Wake of the Texas Power Crisis, Voters Want the U.S. to Maintain Fuel Diversity to Support Reliability

The National Mining Association (NMA) today released polling that shows seven in 10 voters – including a majority of Democrats, Republicans and Independents – support maintaining baseload, on-demand power plants, such as coal plants, to support the reliable supply of electricity. The polling was conducted by Morning Consult, Feb. 25-27, 2021, of 1,980 registered voters and carries […]
25Feb

We Need Innovation and Reliable Energy

Via The Anchorage Daily News: Anchorage IBEW business manager Dave Reaves recently declared that because of climate change, Alaska needs to move away from using many traditional energy resources that it has relied on for decades. Interestingly, Reaves said little about the economic devastation this would cause in Alaska and throughout the nation. President Joe Biden’s decision […]
24Feb

The Texas Grid Crisis is a National Crisis

Think the Texas electricity crisis can’t happen where you live? Think again. Up and down the country, electricity markets – with very different designs – have fielded warnings that the right storm, with the right conditions could cause the same chaos or worse. Much of the blame in Texas has fallen on the Electric Reliability […]