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Associated Press: The Trump administration has rejected a coal industry push to win a rarely used emergency order protecting coal-fired power plants, a decision contrary to what one coal executive said the president personally promised him. The Energy Department says it considered issuing the order sought by companies seeking relief for plants it says are […]
Casper Star-Tribune: A proposal to use federal money to help boost the coal industry in the eastern United States is raising protests from Wyoming. Wyoming Mining Association Executive Director Travis Deti says he thinks it’s “misguided” to provide federal support to a particular region over another. Deti says Wyoming coal would be at a competitive […]
Bloomberg BNA: Coal companies from outside Appalachia, and the Republicans in Congress representing them, are taking a dim view of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s efforts to win a $4.5 billion subsidy for eastern coal. To those non-Appalachian coal companies, Justice’s request for a $15 per ton subsidy to power plants that burn regional coal […]
Tom Sanzillo and David Schlissel
A Flimsy and Dangerous Rationale Rooted in a Denial of Modern Energy Market Trends
Just how big a giveaway to the Appalachian coal industry is West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice talking about as he lobbies the White House for a $15-per-ton subsidy for coal producers in the region? Central and Northern Appalachia coal fields produced 167 million tons in 2016, which not incidentally was its lowest year of production […]
Karl Cates
Justice Prevailed on ‘Justified.’ But Only Because Somebody Stood Up for It.
What becomes now of the America of straight-talking, tough-but-fair Deputy U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens, the hero (and sometimes anti-hero) of the late great Elmore Leonard? Givens was the central character in the AMC show “Justified,” a series that ran for six strong seasons before ending in 2015. It was built largely off a classic Leonard […]
Bloomberg News: Contura Energy Inc., which inherited some of Alpha Natural Resources Inc.’s best coal mines during that company’s bankruptcy, has withdrawn a plan for an initial public offering amid lackluster demand from potential investors. Contura’s decision underscores how cautious Wall Street has been about investing in the U.S. coal sector, despite a rebound following […]
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a coal baron and former Democrat who switched parties last week to side with President Donald Trump, is now calling for a $15-per-ton coal subsidy from the federal government, a local news site reported. Justice says the subsidy is needed for national security reasons. It’s hard to square Justice’s proposal […]
Ashton Marra for West Virginia Public Broadcasting: On this West Virginia Morning, the coal industry in West Virginia has been struggling, but over the past several months, revenues from coal severance taxes have increased for the state. That’s because of increased demand overseas, says West Virginia University Research Assistant Professor Brian Lego. Lego is a […]
State Journal (West Virginia): According to multiple sources, including West Virginians For Energy Freedom Coalition and the Institute for Energy Economic and Financial Analysis, Ohio-based FirstEnergy, owner of Potomac Edison and Mon Power, has applied to purchase a plant based upon a model purchase in 2013 that has cost consumers over $160 million. FirstEnergy has […]
SNL: The coal industry is “too fragmented” to command pricing power and is in need of consolidation, according to a new note from Seaport Global Securities LLC analysts. Analyst Mark Levin wrote in a June 20 note that the industry has “too many suppliers chasing too few tons.” The report cites a recent claim that […]
IEEFA Research Brief: Coal in Decline, Blow by Blow
Plant Closings and the Likely Effects on Specific Companies and MinesWe’ve published a research brief today that presents an expansive snapshot of a moving target: the decline in U.S. coal-fired generation nationally. As global energy markets continue to undergo rapid transformation, change has swept the U.S. as well. Our brief—“U.S. Coal Phase-out, Blow by Blow: Plant Closings and the Likely Corresponding Effect on Specific Companies […]