Inside Energy (https://insideenergy.org/series/futureofcoal/page/5/)
Between federal regulations to restrict carbon dioxide emissions and mercury pollution, cheap natural gas, and concerns about climate change, the coal industry in this country is under threat. Since 2012 nearly 60 coal-burning power plants have partially or completely shut down. But the dirty fuel still supplies 40% of our power and is critical, proponents say, for maintaining the reliability of our electricity infrastructure.
We want to know: What is the future of coal in the United States? How have federal regulations impacted its use across the country? How is the transition off of coal being felt in coal-dependent communities and states? Are there ways to burn and use coal that are cleaner, and will lessen its negative environmental impact? Inside Energy has covered these issues in a series of stories produced in collaboration with Allegheny Front, West Virginia Public Broadcasting, and High Plains News. We continue to report on these stories as they unfold.
The dispute over royalties paid for coal, natural gas and oil extracted from public lands centers over two issues: Are the royalties too low? Do we know enough about the accounting to assure the American taxpayer is getting a good deal? Amy Martin digs in, with some help from Taylor Swift.
No matter the intent of environmental agreements and regulations, the world will likely continue to burn coal for decades, especially in developing countries. So, is there a way to use the CO2 emissions instead of just sending them up the smokestack? Inside Energy’s Leigh Paterson reports.
North Dakota is feeling the heat from the federal Clean Power Plan, which targets carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. Under the final version of the plan, the state will have to cut its emissions by 45 percent – more any other state except Montana. Officials say it’s unfair and illegal, so they’re suing to overturn the rule. But they’re also working on a plan to comply.
As the market for coal dwindles, who will foot the bill for restoring the land mined for coal to what it once was? Leigh Paterson reports for Inside Energy on the fate of billions of dollars in outstanding coal mine clean-up costs.
While many are fleeing the coal industry, the Crow tribe in south-central Montana is banking on a new mine opening up on their land, and export terminals to ship that coal to Asia.
How much coal does a Wyoming coal miner mine? Quite a bit less than he used to, it turns out. Regulations have received most of the blame for coal’s current downturn but that’s not the whole story; it’s also getting more expensive to mine in the nation’s largest coal producing state.
Demand for coal-fired electricity is on the decline. In response, regions around the world that rely on coal production for jobs and revenue are studying on new, cleaner ways to keep it on the market.
The Chinese government has promised to remedy some of the consequences of burning coal. In a joint press conference with President Obama on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a plan to put a country-wide price on carbon emissions, starting in 2017.
As part of a series of listening sessions held across the country, representatives from the Bureau of Land Management recently came to Gillette, Wyo., to meet with residents about the agency’s federal coal program. The meeting quickly turned into an impassioned discussion about the future of the coal industry. Janice Schneider, with the Department of the Interior, said the agency was looking for comments on “how the Bureau of Land Management can best manage its coal resources.” The other issue was whether or not the BLM should charge coal companies higher royalties for coal mined on federal land. Independent studies have found that coal companies may not be charged enough for federal coal.
While the coal industry in other parts of the country has fallen on hard times, the mines of the Powder River Basin, in Wyoming and Montana, have been left largely unscathed. Even with new regulations that could put a dent in coal production from the region, the towns that depend on it aren’t given up on their black gold anytime soon.
