Montana

IEEFA Research

IEEFA U.S.: Virginia coal plant’s future isn’t bright: preparation for transition should commence now

IEEFA U.S.: Virginia coal plant’s future isn’t bright: preparation for transition should commence now

Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center (VCHEC), one of the newest in U.S., risks closure due to market forces

December 16, 2020 (IEEFA)—Retiring the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center (VCHEC) will bring unnecessarily abrupt economic hardship to Wise County if state and local officials do not begin to plan now for a transition, concludes a report published today by the Institute for Energy Economic and Financial Analysis. The 8-year-old coal-fired power plant, owned by […]

, and December 16, 2020 Read More →
IEEFA Coal Outlook 2020: Market trends are pushing U.S. industry to a reckoning

IEEFA Coal Outlook 2020: Market trends are pushing U.S. industry to a reckoning

Competition, financing, consolidation, muni/co-op trajectories, export markets

March 30, 2020 (IEEFA U.S.) — A report published today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) sees the U.S. coal industry continuing to decline through 2020 and beyond. The report, U.S. Coal Outlook 2020: Market Trends Are Pushing Industry Ever Closer to a Reckoning, details issues that will likely persist in driving […]

, , and March 30, 2020 Read More →
IEEFA report: Navajo company’s foray into Powder River Basin coal is off to a troubled start

IEEFA report: Navajo company’s foray into Powder River Basin coal is off to a troubled start

Regulatory roadblock in Montana - business case for NTEC acquisition of Cloud Peak mines continues to unravel

Oct. 25, 2019 (IEEFA U.S.) — Regulatory opposition to the acquisition this week by Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC) of three coal mines in the Powder River Basin deals the small company’s expansion strategy an immediate setback, concludes a report published today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). Just as NTEC […]

, , and October 25, 2019 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: Bill to incentivize federal reinvestment in tribal regions of Arizona suggests a model for coalfield communities nationally

IEEFA U.S.: Bill to incentivize federal reinvestment in tribal regions of Arizona suggests a model for coalfield communities nationally

Bipartisan support is possible; Congressional appropriations will be key

Sept. 29, 2019 (IEEFA) — A bill to encourage federal reinvestment in communities hurt by the closure of the Navajo Generating Station (NGS)-Kayenta Mine complex in Arizona suggests a model that could work for coalfield communities nationally, concludes a report published today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. The report—Bill to Spark […]

and September 19, 2019 Read More →
IEEFA update: Business case weakens for Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC) bid to purchase Montana-Wyoming coal mines

IEEFA update: Business case weakens for Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC) bid to purchase Montana-Wyoming coal mines

Macroeconomic, regional and local risks in deal for bankrupt Cloud Peak assets

September 5, 2019 (IEEFA U.S.) — Production is down this year and the customer base is shrinking at three mines that Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC) proposes buying in a bankruptcy-court bid for Cloud Peak Energy, according to a research brief published today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). The brief—NTEC […]

, and September 5, 2019 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: 13 questions on Navajo Transitional Energy Company’s proposed acquisition of bankrupt Cloud Peak’s Montana and Wyoming mines

IEEFA U.S.: 13 questions on Navajo Transitional Energy Company’s proposed acquisition of bankrupt Cloud Peak’s Montana and Wyoming mines

Little transparency and no tribal-government participation

Aug. 30, 2019 (IEEFA) — A research brief published today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis raises questions about whether a Navajo Transitional Energy Co. (NTEC) bid to buy a bankrupt coal company’s assets is prudent, whether it was put together properly and if it is in line with NTEC’s responsibilities to […]

, , , and August 30, 2019 Read More →
IEEFA: Proposed Navajo acquisition of bankrupt U.S. coal company is an ill-timed gamble

IEEFA: Proposed Navajo acquisition of bankrupt U.S. coal company is an ill-timed gamble

Plan to buy Cloud Peak’s mines in Montana and Wyoming comes as Powder River Basin producers face more hard times - NTEC could modernize with leadership change

Aug. 22, 2019 (IEEFA) — A plan by the Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC) to acquire Cloud Peak Energy’s coal mines in Montana and Wyoming is a high-risk gamble and poorly timed, concludes a report published today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. The report, Proposed Navajo Acquisition of Bankrupt U.S. Coal Company […]

, , and August 23, 2019 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: Imminent Hopi-Navajo budget crisis as coal industry collapses

IEEFA U.S.: Imminent Hopi-Navajo budget crisis as coal industry collapses

Federal action required, potential for bipartisan national coalfield reinvestment legislation: past models include Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy response, bailout of auto industry, mitigation for military base closures

May 30, 2019 (IEEFA) – Closure this year of the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) and Kayenta Mine will gut tribal government budgets in northern Arizona, according to a report published today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. In response to the planned closures, Navajo Nation will reduce public-service expenditures by 23 percent […]

, and May 30, 2019 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: Solar tax credit extension through 2024 critical for coalfield communities

IEEFA U.S.: Solar tax credit extension through 2024 critical for coalfield communities

Support needed during energy transition — Navajo Generating Station/Kayenta Mine cited as ‘prime examples’

(IEEFA U.S.) — The federal solar tax credit should be extended by at least four years in coalfield areas, like the ones around the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) and Kayenta Coal Mine in Arizona, according to a briefing  note released today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). “Scheduled curtailment of the […]

and May 1, 2019 Read More →
IEEFA report: Powder River Basin coal industry is in long-term decline

IEEFA report: Powder River Basin coal industry is in long-term decline

Fast-changing markets indicate deeper downturns to come in Montana and Wyoming

March 18, 2019 (IEEFA U.S.) — Coal producers in the Powder River Basin continue to lose customers as utilities across the U.S. embrace a shift toward cleaner and cheaper forms of power generation, according to a report published today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). The report — Powder River Basin Coal […]

, and March 18, 2019 Read More →

More News and Commentary

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IEEFA U.S.: ‘New Promise Act’ would help communities transition from coal-based economy

O’Halleran legislation aims to cushion economic losses caused by plant closures

April 2, 2021 (IEEFA) — The recently introduced New Promise Act, sponsored by Rep. Tom O’Halleran, D-Ariz., marks a potentially important step forward in recognizing the need for a federal commitment to economic revitalization in communities that have been hard-hit by the decline of the coal economy. The bill, inspired by the closure of the […]

and April 2, 2021 Read More →

Arch planning for Black Thunder mine’s closure as U.S. coal demand continues to shrink

S&P Global Market Intelligence ($): The owner of the second-largest coal mine in the U.S. by production volume is planning for the asset’s closure as retirement dates approach for several plants that burn much of the mine’s fuel. Coal demand in the U.S. has been declining for years, and Arch Resources Inc. announced Feb. 9 […]

February 24, 2021 Read More →

U.S. energy transition hits Powder River Basin as coal production falls, mines close

S&P Global Market Intelligence ($): A sharp decline in coal demand from the U.S. power sector is wreaking havoc on the Powder River Basin as mine operators in the region scaled back production during 2020 with few indications of improved prospects for volumes. Production in the country’s largest coal-producing basin fell 21.8% year over year […]

February 9, 2021 Read More →

Decker coal mine in Montana closes in wake of Lighthouse Resources’ bankruptcy

Casper Star Tribune: A Powder River Basin coal mine has closed down for the first time in modern history. At the end of January, mining ceased at the Decker coal mine in Montana after the owner of the mine filed for bankruptcy late last year. Home to some of the world’s largest mines, the Powder […]

February 8, 2021 Read More →

Equinor considering sale of money-losing U.S. shale operations

S&P Global Market Intelligence ($): Equinor ASA is considering selling its holdings in the Bakken play of North Dakota and Montana, part of a comprehensive review of its international oil and gas portfolio as the Norwegian state-controlled company pivots away from oil and toward the energy transition. “We now have a different strategy for onshore […]

January 15, 2021 Read More →

Lighthouse Resources bankruptcy likely the end for proposed Washington coal export terminal

Casper Star Tribune: Wyoming’s long-held dream of exporting Powder River Basin coal from a West Coast terminal was recently dashed when the project’s owner filed for bankruptcy and failed to find an interested buyer. Lighthouse Resources Inc. petitioned for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Dec. 3. The company owns the Decker coal mine in Montana, just […]

January 12, 2021 Read More →

NextEra moving forward with Montana’s largest wind farm near Colstrip coal plant

Billings Gazette: Construction of what’s expected to be Montana’s largest wind farm will begin in 2021 just beyond the shadow the coal-fired Colstrip Power Plant. NextEra Energy Resources will plug into the grid at Colstrip substation, to target markets in the Pacific Northwest. Its Clearwater Wind project, with a 750-megawatts capacity, will be three times […]

January 5, 2021 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: Virginia coal plant’s future isn’t bright: preparation for transition should commence now
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IEEFA U.S.: Virginia coal plant’s future isn’t bright: preparation for transition should commence now

Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center (VCHEC), one of the newest in U.S., risks closure due to market forces

December 16, 2020 (IEEFA)—Retiring the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center (VCHEC) will bring unnecessarily abrupt economic hardship to Wise County if state and local officials do not begin to plan now for a transition, concludes a report published today by the Institute for Energy Economic and Financial Analysis. The 8-year-old coal-fired power plant, owned by […]

, and December 16, 2020 Read More →

U.S. coal companies White Stallion and Lighthouse Resources file for bankruptcy

S&P Global Market Intelligence ($): Two more U.S. coal mining companies have filed for bankruptcy as producers across the country struggle to sell coal into the troubled thermal coal market. White Stallion Energy LLC and Lighthouse Resources Inc. filed voluntary petitions for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware […]

December 4, 2020 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: Decline in coal exports adds to Navajo-owned company’s problems

IEEFA U.S.: Decline in coal exports adds to Navajo-owned company’s problems

Weak demand and low prices are likely creating steep losses for NTEC

U.S. coal exports to Asia—once heralded as the saving grace for struggling coal producers in the western United States—are facing new strains from low prices and weak demand in the wake of the global COVID-19 crisis.  In its third-quarter financial statement released earlier this month, Westshore Terminals in British Columbia, the primary terminal for U.S. thermal coal […]

November 24, 2020 Read More →
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