Feature Stories
CONSOL’s Enlow Fork Mine Tour in Pa. Offers Rare Glimpse into Underground City
May 20, 2024
At the start of their shift, the coal miners working on Enlow Fork Mine’s H-3 longwall section step into a black steel elevator and descend 800 feet underground, where they walk out through a heavy airlock door and into a
Commentary: SEC’s Climate Rule Is Finally Here, But for How Long?
March 18, 2024
The day many observers of financial regulation have long been awaiting (and dreading) has come. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted to approve its final rule on disclosure of climate-change-related information for public companies. While the final rule was
Biden Admin’s New Climate Rules Could Mean Big Payday for His Buddies, Burden for Businesses
February 14, 2024
In a setback for former government officials and attorneys poised to cash in on proposed climate disclosure rules, the Securities and Exchange Commission continued to kick the ball down the road last year. Many of the objections raised in public
Arch Resources, Campbell County Look to Repurpose Portions of Coal Facilities, Wyoming
February 12, 2024
A seemingly trivial zoning change unceremoniously approved by Campbell County commissioners this month could open the door to a new economic development strategy and help backfill future job and revenue losses in the coal industry here. With few people in
How Does One-Third the CO2 Emissions Cause Three Times the Climate Damage?
January 8, 2024
This month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published revised estimates of the social cost of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide — the three main greenhouse gases emitted by industrial civilization. The EPA’s new estimates of the social cost of
How Giving Trucks an Electric Boost Can Help Cut Mining Pollution in Minnesota
December 18, 2023
A Minnesota taconite mining company and its electric utility are seeking federal funding for a demonstration project aimed at slashing diesel fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions. After an unsuccessful attempt to secure money this spring from the state Legislature,
North Dakota Researchers Find Cost-effective Way to Extract Rare-earth Elements from Coal
December 13, 2023
In a large warehouse in Grand Forks, Nicholas Dyrstad-Cincotta marvels at how far his team has come. Two years ago, they set out to test the economic viability of extracting critical metals from lignite coal, an abundant soft rock sediment
EPA Ups Estimates for the Social Cost of Carbon
December 12, 2023
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated its estimate of the “social cost” of carbon dioxide — a contrived way of increasing the cost of everything made from or using hydrocarbon resources to vilify those projects and keep them from becoming
Rare Earth Discoveries in Coal Mines Mean They Could Play a Key Role to Play in Energy Transition
November 30, 2023
From Pennsylvania to the north of England, coal mines helped to power the Industrial Revolution, turbocharging the economic growth of countries around the world. Today, however, the production and use of coal has become a thorny issue, with critics slamming
BHP’s Massive Potash Mine Being Built in Saskatchewan Breaks New Ground for Women
November 27, 2023
In July of this year, mining giant BHP announced a company first. More than 14,000 kilometers away from its Melbourne, Australia headquarters, BHP said it had achieved its “gender balance” target for its local workforce in Saskatchewan. With women making
