While the U.S. is shutting coal plants down, China is permitting two new coal-fired power plants every week. China approved the construction of 168 coal-fired units last year and has no plans to slow it’s buildout of coal capacity.
A Wyoming plan to help coal mine reclamation and address an enormous problem with the disposal of millions of tons of spent wind turbine blades is so far going nowhere without federal approval.
The EPA is expected to advance six rules over the next several months likely to speed up coal-fired electrical generation plant retirements. Energy experts say this will lead to more blackouts and higher energy costs.
Arch Natural Resources reported a record $1.3 billion in net income for 2022, despite production at Wyoming coal mines limited because of what the company reports as “further deterioration in already poor Western rail service.”
Limited rail capacity and labor shortages hit Peabody Energy’s Wyoming coal operations in the final quarter of 2022. Expecting 18 trains a day, Peabody only got one.
$1.2 million to sue Washington state in defense of Wyoming coal interests has gone unspent, so the governor wants to expand how else it can be used to support the industry.
The Wyoming Mining Association’s Travis Deti said the study is problematic because it doesn’t factor in the costs of maintaining reliability on the grid. “The fact is, wind and solar just aren’t reliable,” he said.
Wyoming lost out on 50 million tons of coal production last year because of limited rail capacity. Rail companies say a labor shortage prevented more shipments, but current and retired engineers say if the rail companies treated their people better, there would be no labor shortage.
Rep. Lloyd Larsen, R-Lander, is sponsoring a bill that will fund efforts to challenge the early retirement of coal plants.
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U.S. coal groups are banding together to push back against further shutdowns of coal-fired power plants. They say the blackouts in Europe and severe energy problems in some parts of the U.S. prove that coal is essential.
A stocking full of coal wasn’t always a bad thing. Back when energy sources weren’t as plentiful, coal was viewed as a positive gift. Then people took it for granted and coal became demonized.
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U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis urged her senate colleagues on Thursday to vote yes on the House agreement that would force rail worker unions to accept the agreement reached earlier this year.
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China has 1,109 gigawatts of coal-fired capacity and is rapidly building more. The U.S. has 196 gigawatts of coal capacity in its entire fleet and the Biden Administration is trying to get rid of all of it.
While a prolonged railroad worker strike would decimate many industries, including Wyoming’s coal mines, it’s unlikely Congress would allow that to happen.
PacifiCorp says that a study released by two environmental groups alleging groundwater contamination at two Wyoming coal plants is misleading and inaccurate.
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Peabody Energy, which operates three Powder River Basin thermal coal mines, reported its Wyoming operations were in the black by $38 million as rail shortages eased and power plants built up stockpiles.
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As Wyoming’s coal industry declines, many promises have been made about providing support for displaced workers in the industry. After years of being passed over, small gains are being made to address their needs.
Arch Resources posted its third quarter results for fiscal year 2022 on Thursday, which shows its operations in the Powder River Basin did well, but company executives say the long-term outlook is bleak.
The demand for coal has risen and Wyoming coal producers can significantly increase production but they can’t get the trains to carry it. “The market is there if Wyoming could just get it out on trains,” the governor’s office said.
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A collection of environmental advocacy groups including the Sierra Club is targeting Wyoming for a perceived lack of enforcement of federal Clean Air Act rules as they pertain to the Jim Bridger Power Plant in Sweetwater County.
Since 2015, six coal companies operating in Wyoming have filed for bankruptcy, causing some to question who will be responsible for reclaiming the defunct operations’ mines.
The short-term outlook for coal may be bleak, but he said there are several developments underway in 2020 which could impact the industry’s long-term outlook.
Wyoming coal producers have an eye on foreign markets as stateside coal demand decreases, but exporting coal comes with a new set of challenges — like getting the coal to those markets.
