Coal making a comeback sooner than I expected
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Most U.S. power plants still fire coal, and expanding its use will lower energy bills. Obama (and Hillary) promised to put coal miners out of business and they damn near did.
This is excellent news, and will only get better as economic activity picks up.
https://www.usnews.com/news/kentuck...eastern-ky-coal-mines-sold-to-georgia-company
Feb. 23, 2017, at 2:48 p.m.
Coal producer Alpha Natural Resources has sold its mining assets in Harlan County, Kentucky, to a Georgia company that plans to reopen the idled mines.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-st...s-to-reopen-knott-county-mine-hire-60-workers
March 1, 2017, at 12:32 p.m.
Knott County Judge Executive Zach Weinberg says he was told the company plans to hire 60 workers within the next two weeks.
Ensure West Virginia can continue to export coal
http://www.weirtondailytimes.com/op...re-west-virginia-can-continue-to-export-coal/
Use of coal to generate electricity in the United States is expected to make a comeback as Americans begin to understand the reality behind former President Barack Obama’s claims of a cheaper, cleaner future based on wind and solar power.
The truth is that Obama’s war on coal and affordable electricity already is driving utility bills up for millions of Americans. It will get worse as the impact of closures of hundreds of coal-fired generating units hits.
Coal can be burned for electric generation in an environmentally acceptable manner. And, as the price of the natural gas used to fuel many newer power plants rises, low-cost electricity from coal will become more attractive.
All that will take time, however. Many coal miners and communities reliant on them ran out of time years ago, as the Obama administration shut down their mines.
U.S. Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., plans to do something about that this week, through a visit with the prime minister of India.
Yes, India. McKinley already has had conversations with that nation’s officials about using more coal to fuel power plants. That coal can come from West Virginia, McKinley believes.
He points out that of the about 1.1 billion people in India, approximately 300 million do not have access to electricity. Coal-fired generating plants offer their only affordable option to enjoy the benefits of power.
Finding new markets such as India for coal is especially critical because of devastation wrought by the Obama administration.
It will take time to develop clean-coal technology and get it online at power plants. While that is happening, the best hope laid-off miners and their devastated communities have is for mines to reopen to feed the export market.
McKinley is right, but his idea will require more than reopening mines. Transportation networks to get coal to seaports will need to be adequate. So will coal-handling facilities at the ports, not to mention ships to carry the fuel.
That is where President Donald Trump — who has proven he plans to keep his pledge to help coal country — comes in. Federal help may be needed to ensure mines in West Virginia, Ohio and other states can get coal to overseas markets. Where possible, the White House should provide it.
Miners, their communities and states need a lifeline to span the time between now and a resurgence of coal-fired power generation. Exports may be the only way to make that happen.
Feb. 23, 2017, at 2:48 p.m.
Coal producer Alpha Natural Resources has sold its mining assets in Harlan County, Kentucky, to a Georgia company that plans to reopen the idled mines.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-st...s-to-reopen-knott-county-mine-hire-60-workers
March 1, 2017, at 12:32 p.m.
Knott County Judge Executive Zach Weinberg says he was told the company plans to hire 60 workers within the next two weeks.
Ensure West Virginia can continue to export coal
http://www.weirtondailytimes.com/op...re-west-virginia-can-continue-to-export-coal/
Use of coal to generate electricity in the United States is expected to make a comeback as Americans begin to understand the reality behind former President Barack Obama’s claims of a cheaper, cleaner future based on wind and solar power.
The truth is that Obama’s war on coal and affordable electricity already is driving utility bills up for millions of Americans. It will get worse as the impact of closures of hundreds of coal-fired generating units hits.
Coal can be burned for electric generation in an environmentally acceptable manner. And, as the price of the natural gas used to fuel many newer power plants rises, low-cost electricity from coal will become more attractive.
All that will take time, however. Many coal miners and communities reliant on them ran out of time years ago, as the Obama administration shut down their mines.
U.S. Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., plans to do something about that this week, through a visit with the prime minister of India.
Yes, India. McKinley already has had conversations with that nation’s officials about using more coal to fuel power plants. That coal can come from West Virginia, McKinley believes.
He points out that of the about 1.1 billion people in India, approximately 300 million do not have access to electricity. Coal-fired generating plants offer their only affordable option to enjoy the benefits of power.
Finding new markets such as India for coal is especially critical because of devastation wrought by the Obama administration.
It will take time to develop clean-coal technology and get it online at power plants. While that is happening, the best hope laid-off miners and their devastated communities have is for mines to reopen to feed the export market.
McKinley is right, but his idea will require more than reopening mines. Transportation networks to get coal to seaports will need to be adequate. So will coal-handling facilities at the ports, not to mention ships to carry the fuel.
That is where President Donald Trump — who has proven he plans to keep his pledge to help coal country — comes in. Federal help may be needed to ensure mines in West Virginia, Ohio and other states can get coal to overseas markets. Where possible, the White House should provide it.
Miners, their communities and states need a lifeline to span the time between now and a resurgence of coal-fired power generation. Exports may be the only way to make that happen.
Looks like WV will feel some of the relief. Have report that one of the larger companies has received some new three year contracts. Some of the smaller mines in So WV are rekindling. That is great news for an area that was not going to survive without coal.
33% of electric in the US was generated from coal fired plants in 2015. Numerous coal fired plants closed in 2016, so the number is going down.
---just another "thanks obama" moment brought to you by the worst president in history...---
That's because most of them that could have been operating firing coal were shuttered due to Obama and the choking EPA restrictions.
Now that those shackles have been removed, many more will be able generate power using abundant cheap coal.
This article provides factual evidence that you are, once again, incorrect. The EPA rules had devastating impacts on coal fired power plants.
http://www.governing.com/gov-data/e...plants-to-shut-down-from-EPA-regulations.html
Without these regulations, gas would've provided powerful competition particularly for new generation. But your simplistic look at this avoids other very significant costs that make up the total cost of power generation such as capital cost invested in plant and equipment not to mention existing supply contracts.
It seems to me, that your obvious hatred of coal indicates an underlying hatred of the state of West Virginia. Sure you recognize the extraordinary damage that has been done to the state in a short period of time. Without these extraordinary and unconstitutional regulations, the industry and the state would've had for more time to adjust to the changes in the economics of cold and gas fired generation.
The good news is, when you rule with a pen and a phone and use regulatory agencies, it may take time but you can generally reverse many of those very negative actions.
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As things currently stand countryroads89 you are correct. However as I mentioned, the Federal regulatory environment has placed artificial disadvantages on coal, and Trump's deregulation measures aim to even out the playing field so coal can once again compete and be a major supplier of energy to electrical power generation stations.
https://www.oilandgas360.com/2015-coal-v-natural-gas/
Somewhere between 32 and 68 coal fired power plants were shuttered because of EPA regulations.
http://www.governing.com/gov-data/e...plants-to-shut-down-from-EPA-regulations.html
Electric utilities had an enormous investment in coal fired power plants. They would not have written off this huge capital asset and switched to another significant capital investment in natural gas turbines, if the overall economics did not make sense. The price of the commodity is one part of that economic picture but not the entire part.
And that does not take into consideration existing contracts between coal suppliers and electric utilities that were abrogated due to the EPA regulations.
Natural gas would've provided huge competition for a new generation. However, we would not have seen nearly the number of coal plants shuttered if the EPA did not force that action. In many cases, the overall economics would not have made sense.
This of course is all correct, and because of Trump's intervention to rescue coal should also prove to be a large incentive to bring more coal fired electric generating plants back online.
It's essentially the argument I'm making to countryroads89 that in a very short while, coal will once again at least be competitive in the energy marketplace with natural gas, if not altogether cheaper. I happen to think that's good news for energy prices, good news for coal, and good news for Americans who need good paying energy related jobs.
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Its not cheap to build or retrofit a gas plant. It was a better option long term once the EPA set ridiculous air quality standards
He certainly doesn't understand the overall economics of power generation. Again, I believe natural gas would have provided significant competition for new power generation and were great vehicles for peak generation.However for existing base load power generation the economics would've been much more complex.
Why would anyone affiliated with West Virginia (which I assume countryroads89 is) not want to see coal in the state make a huge comeback?
Because some people are so tied to their party politics that they don't really care about the people they pretend to love, they care about winning or in this case just being affiliated to a winner. It is a mental disease.
I might buy that argument Dave about countryroads89 if the Left was winning but how is that in any way remotely observable to that poster based on the past few election cycles?
Have you ever seen that idiot debate on here? He thinks he is winning when he is so far wrong that it is laughable.
Yes I have to agree with you strongly there Dave. Priddyboy has made quite a reputation for himself posting various hillarious pix to depict countryroads89's ongoing deconstruction on this forum.
Just to be clear, some would say the EPA regs hurt coal was leveling the playing field (due to pollution coal causes) and taking those regs away is unleveling the playing field. But let's set that aside. and let's assume that WV really will see a meaningful surge in coal production, which I'm somewhat skeptical off but let's assume it's true.
Okay then, that puts us in the late 2010s and WV is doing fine with coal doing well. But still, just due to technological improvements we can see the gradual decline of coal coming in the upcoming decades no matter what the EPA regs are. So while we're experiencing a resurgence now in the late 2010s we should be trying to develop other aspects of the WV economy for diversification purposes and so we can transfer over to them when the inevitable decline of coal comes. Right?
And what are the chances of that happening? We all know that the chances are zero. WV is going to run coal into the ground and not bother to develop economic alternatives.
Okay then, that puts us in the late 2010s and WV is doing fine with coal doing well. But still, just due to technological improvements we can see the gradual decline of coal coming in the upcoming decades no matter what the EPA regs are. So while we're experiencing a resurgence now in the late 2010s we should be trying to develop other aspects of the WV economy for diversification purposes and so we can transfer over to them when the inevitable decline of coal comes. Right?
And what are the chances of that happening? We all know that the chances are zero. WV is going to run coal into the ground and not bother to develop economic alternatives.
There is nothing suggesting use of coal will kill off any and all other energy development Op2. The EPA's objective wasn't to make the coal operating environment safer or cleaner, it was to effectively destroy the industry which it nearly did.
West Virginia's economy does need to diversify, and develop alternate and more promising uses of new energy sources. However, coal can fuel that development and in the meantime can be a useful productive engine to drive population needs until such new development is economically feasible.
Technology will also make burning coal much more environmentally friendly, which will further enhance its use as an economically sustainable energy source in the state.
Who is suggesting that WV shouldn't develop other areas of the economy? Suggesting that the latest regulations that will be tossed out are leveling the playing field is ridiculous. The difference between regulation of coal mining versus gas drilling is significant alone. All people want is for coal companies to have reasonable regulations so they can operate and mine accessible coal.
It's not a matter of "shouldn't," it's a matter of "won't." My point is people were complaining about the Feds killing coal and thus killing WV but WV is going to run coal into the ground before diversify. Even if coal was strong all along over the past few decades why not diversity and make the economy stronger? Even when coal is strong WV is like 48th in all the economic categories.
WV is badly run. Putting WV woes on the Feds is a diversion.
Again, we are not talking about putting WV woes on the Feds. People want the Feds to stop their overreach so people can conduct business. Acting like that is blaming the Feds for all woes is just disingenuous. It doesn't matter what the economy of WV is, the federal overreach needs to end.
Op2, as I stated previously in this thread, the EPA's objective wasn't to make coal safer and cleaner to use. It was [specifically stated] to put the industry out of business.
So who asked them(regulators) to make that decision for us? No doubt coal burning in its original state is not as environmentally conducive as it was after technological innovations to clean up its more dangerous residuals were developed...but that is a far cry from it being so "dangerous" for us to use that we have to ban it?
I agree with Dave on this, the Feds overreach on this was beyond protecting environmental hazards. By their own admission, the Feds wanted to put coal mining out of business and they nearly did. That should not be, nor is it the purpose of environmental safety regulators. How we've allowed them so much power (unelected I might add) should be a concern of all Americans.
Thankfully it is now, which is why Trump in part was elected and I congratulate him on peeling back the overzealous regulators. West Virginia and the rest of America needs clean, cheap coal which is abundant and viable TODAY.
Let the evolution of future energy development take it's course...yes of course. But don't kill a viable, needed, affordable energy resource we currently have at our disposal to use in the meantime.
You just made a huge assumption. I could make the alternative observation that this will scare West Virginia enough that they will begin to do everything possible to diversify their economy. After all, a Democrat could be our next president. In the meantime at least we have 4 to 8 years or more to diversify rather than it being thrust upon us so rapidly due to EPA regulations. Justice obviously is a businessman and hopefully can bring about changes friendly to business.
If WV hasn't done anything for the last 50 years why would they start now? Keep in mind even if everyone knew coal would last forever it would benefit WV to diversify economically and yet it still doesn't happen.
All the years coal was king WV wasn't thriving compared to the other states, it was doing terribly.
Opie, this diversity thing has been going on for a hundred years. Amazingly, no one has really offered the industries that would make WV diverse. Coal has never objected to a diverse industry. Neither has the political arm of the state. Who has fought any diversity of industry into the state? Of course the answer is no one at no time has been opposed to a new industry. The only thing that remotely has been suggested is some type of dope. Most everyone has openly objected to that as a viable industry.
Why is coal industry so attractive? Think about it. WV has so damned much of it. There is demand for it all over the world. That makes absolute economic sense. WV has the best grade and we have an absolute advantage over anyone else when grade and quantity are a factor. This is the only product that WV has that gives us an absolute advantage over the competition.
The industry pays well and it pays taxes that give great support to local and state governments. The employees seem to be quiet satisfied with the pay package and benefits package offered by the industry.
Coal is a finite quantity. At some point diversification will have to replace coal. People who rely on coal are going to have to decide on a new industry in WV or at a different location should coal become uneconomical to mine. No one questions that reality. Until that point in time, why are people so adamant about killing the industry that means so much to so many when there is no required end in sight to WV coal? Coal and residents of the state welcomes diversification. Most of us are "all the above" and everyone with the capacity to introduce/provide "above" are certainly welcome to step forward.