19Jun

We Still Need Coal to Ensure Power Grid Reliability

Via The Hill: In 2018, natural gas surpassed coal to become the largest source of electricity generation in the United States. And during the past four months, admittedly a period of reduced power demand because of the COVID-19 pandemic, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar actually have pushed more electrons into the nation’s power grid than have […]
18Jun

Maintaining the Foundation for Recovery

This week Congress set its sights on COVID-19’s impact on the energy industry. Committees in both the House and Senate heard expert testimony on a sector that has felt the pain of economic upheaval just as acutely as any dimension of the economy. While the coal industry was recognized as an essential industry by the […]
11Jun

What Happens When the Next Pandemic is a Power Outage?

Via The Southern Illinoisan: Imagine if, in 2018, someone had fully predicted the arrival of COVID-19. They explained the scale of the coming pandemic — and gave policymakers time to prepare. It’s almost impossible to imagine such a scenario. And it’s human nature to doubt such “bad news” predictions. However, we might be on the […]
10Jun

Building Cutting-Edge Materials with Coal

Coal is synonymous with affordable, reliable and secure energy. It’s the leading fuel for global electricity generation and it’s the key ingredient to produce the majority of the world’s steel. But what if it also had a future as the essential building block to produce some of the world’s most innovative materials? It does, and […]
03Jun

Ending the Abuse of Section 401 Permitting

Global demand for coal remains strong. In fact, coal remains the world’s leading fuel for electricity generation and hundreds of new plants – particularly in Asia – are either planned or already under construction. But despite the world’s largest coal reserves, relatively little American coal is making it into a booming Asian market. The problem […]
27May

Steeling the Nation for Recovery

The COVID-19 pandemic has sent shockwaves through the global economy. Energy markets have been in disarray. And when many people think “coal” they think electricity. But to do so would miss a promising market that could be poised for growth as the world looks towards recovery: the market for metallurgical coal used to produce nearly […]
26May

Keep Energy Affordable During COVID-19 Recovery

Via The Piqua Daily Call: In the wake of nearly 40 million jobless claims in recent weeks, Americans are clearly struggling to pay the bills. In fact, a new national poll found that nearly 50 percent of registered voters are increasingly worried about paying for household expenses, including electricity. This isn’t surprising given the havoc […]
20May

As the Pandemic Unfolds, Voter Concern Over the Affordability of Electricity is Surging

U.S. unemployment is flirting with 25 percent. As the country tries to weather the COVID-19 storm and look forward to reopening and recovery, economic pain is front and center for millions of families. It’s no surprise then that a new poll conducted by Morning Consult found that nearly half of all registered voters (47 percent) […]
13May

In 2018 NERC Warned of a Reliability Crisis from Accelerating Baseload Retirements. It’s Here.

In 2018, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the organization that oversees the reliability on the North American electric grid, warned of the threat of accelerating losses of baseload sources of power. At the time, S&P Global Market Intelligence characterized the report by writing, NERC “warns that an accelerated retirement of coal-fired and nuclear […]
06May

Want to Re-Shore Industry from China? Don’t Overlook Affordable Energy

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has sowed immense uncertainty about the future, but it’s becoming clear that consensus is rapidly forming to bring manufacturing and essential supply chains home from China. Doing so is going to require a recommitment to economic competitiveness, and maintaining affordable, reliable energy will have to be top of the agenda. Difficulty […]