Feature Stories
Inspector General Questions Viability of DOE’s $116 Million Clean Coal Debacle
May 4, 2016
Energy Department auditors are so concerned about the viability of a government-backed clean coal project, they’ve issued a report before their audit has been completed, warning the Obama administration they could be wasting hundreds of millions of tax dollars. The
Coal’s Demise Threatens Appalachian Miners and Firms as Production Moves West
April 29, 2016
The crushing forces prevailing against the U.S. coal industry have triggered an unprecedented shakeout, sparking bankruptcies of the industry’s biggest players — such as last week’s collapse of Peabody Energy — and battering jobs in Appalachia even as mines in
University of Wyoming Professor Studies Supercontinents, Work Gives Clues to Mining Industry
April 26, 2016
The first scientist to suggest that the seven continents were once a single supercontinent was laughed out of the room. It wasn’t until the U.S. Navy studied the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, some 50 years later, that the theory
MIT Scientists Make Electronics Out of Coal
April 26, 2016
Jeffrey Grossman thinks we’ve been looking at coal all wrong. Instead of just setting it afire, thus ignoring the molecular complexity of this highly varied material, he says, we should be harnessing the real value of that diversity and complex
Appalachia Coal Miners and Collectors Share History of Industry
April 20, 2016
Wearing helmets, headlamps and other mining accessories, miners from throughout the nation showed up Saturday at the Coal Mining Collection show in Lewis Caveland Lodge at Carter Caves State Resort Park. More than 10 different displays focused on the history
New Book Released ‘Voices From the Appalachian Coalfields’ Preserves a Piece of History
April 20, 2016
For decades, coal communities bustling with miners and their families filled the landscape of southern West Virginia. As the years have gone by, the industry has changed — machines replaced men, strikes, layoffs, closures, environmental and safety concerns hit hard
Former Coal Miner Opens Restaurant in Zeigler Illinois After Being Laid Off
April 19, 2016
Ken Knusta has wanted to operate his own restaurant for several years. After all, it was his dream. After getting laid off as a coal miner, he had the opportunity to move forward on that dream. Knusta, owner of Route
Virginia’s Ben Chafin: Why Coal Matters
April 13, 2016
The recent Virginia General Assembly session left many in Southwest Virginia wondering if the rest of the state appreciates the continuing importance of the coal industry. Despite all the negativity, coal continues to play a major role in Virginia’s economy,
New Take On Clean Coal Technology Presented at Montana Energy Conference
April 1, 2016
Numerous efforts to squeeze clean-burning fuels from coal have hit the drawing board ever since OPEC started flexing its muscles in the 1970s. After years of research, scientists and engineers have learned that converting coal into liquid and gaseous fuels
The EPA Came for Navajo First; Next, They’re Coming for Everyone
April 1, 2016
Before the U.S. Supreme Court delayed it, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) sought to impose a costly cap-and-trade carbon emissions scheme on the nation’s power grid — the same rule Congress has considered and rejected several times
