Feature Stories
How Miners Made Their Way to Montana in the 1860s
February 7, 2017
Country singer Charley Pride wasn’t born in Montana, but he lived in Helena and Great Falls and worked for the Anaconda Company, which certainly gives him status as a Montanan. What brought him to mind recently was a song he
Switching from Coal is Straining the Country’s Power Grid
February 1, 2017
A fundamental shift in how America generates electricity is raising serious doubts about its ability to keep the lights on. Switching from coal to more natural gas and renewables is straining the country’s power grid. The biggest change in the
Longview Power CEO Jeff Keffer: At Least We’ve Got a Shot Under Trump
January 25, 2017
“The coal industry in general has just been brutalized by the current fading administration,” Keffer said. “There has been no effort to replace the aging coal fleet in this country. I have the concern that unless we build more Longviews
Can a New Congress and New Administration Undo Job-killing Coal Regulations?
January 20, 2017
In Washington, as in the real world, there’s often a frustrating disparity between expectation and reality. But this could change — with the incoming administration and new 115th Congress proving capable of undoing major regulations that have hamstrung America’s coal
From Coal to Carbon Capture: Vintage Illinois Power Plant Highlights Challenges of Energy Transition
January 13, 2017
When the Abbott Power Plant began operation in September 1940, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was running for a historic third term, the Battle of Britain raged over London’s skies, and the cartoon character Bugs Bunny had only recently made his
Fossil Fuel Formation: Key to Atmosphere’s Oxygen?
January 11, 2017
For the development of animals, nothing — with the exception of DNA — may be more important than oxygen in the atmosphere. Oxygen enables the chemical reactions that animals use to get energy from stored carbohydrates — from food. So
Could EPA Overreach Give Republicans Total Control of Senate in 2018?
January 6, 2017
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) overreach may help Republican candidates get elected to the Senate in 2018, according to a new report by the conservative group America Rising Squared. The report found that EPA regulations have hurt states where Democratic senators
New Technologies Can Give Coal a Makeover
January 4, 2017
Reducing the cost and improving the reliability of electricity are critical to meeting our national security goals, maintaining our economic competitiveness and fulfilling consumer demand at an affordable price. To meet our future demand, we have a wider selection of
Mine Rescue Team Offers Students at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Hands-on Training
December 27, 2016
A low rumble shakes the shaft, the lights flicker and die as dust particles quickly fill the air. You’re in the middle of an emergency, deep underground in a coal mine. Maybe it’s a collapse, or maybe it’s a fire.
Australia’s Coober Pedy Underground Mining Town Showcases Homes, Restaurants and Churches
December 16, 2016
The town of Coober Pedy doesn’t look like much — a smattering of buildings and mounds of dust surrounded by a scorched desert divided by the Stuart Highway. The name comes from the indigenous phrase for “white man in hole,”
