Feature Stories
Bad Policy is the Single Greatest Emerging Threat to Reliable Electricity
March 2, 2015
What’s the biggest threat to the reliability of America’s electrical grid? It’s not terrorism, or solar flares. It’s actually federal and state government environmental policies, according to a new study. Obama administration air and climate regulations, coupled with state policies
Miners Turn to Asian Builders to Fund Projects
February 25, 2015
Miners who cannot get financing for new projects from banks or traditional equity investors because metals prices have collapsed are turning to an alternative source: the engineering and construction companies, many from China and South Korea, who actually build their
West Virginia University Researchers Look to Boost Coal Production
February 25, 2015
While West Virginia coal producers have been battling production and employment declines throughout the last several years, researchers at West Virginia University have been figuring out what the state’s government can do to incentivize Mountain State coal production. A January
Revitalizing Appalachia: How Congress Can Correct Coal Market Distortions & Invest in Communities
February 23, 2015
The U.S. coal industry is in the midst of a painful transition. The number of coal-mining jobs in the United States has fallen steadily in recent years, a trend that has had a profound impact on communities that depend on
Obama to States: Shut Down Coal Plants or Else
February 6, 2015
The Obama administration is taking a page from their health care playbook and setting aside billions of dollars to encourage states to shut down coal-fired power plants and implement policies to fight global warming. President Obama’s 2016 budget proposal includes
If We Want to Keep the Gadgets Coming, Let’s Mine Greenland
February 6, 2015
Without neodymium, your ears would be sad. The magnetic fields generated by drivers made of this strange metal, a component of high-end speakers, create the crisp vibrations your brain interprets as your favorite Weezer album. Without dysprosium, Prius owners would
United Mine Workers Continue to Fight for Coal’s Role in the Economy
February 3, 2015
Last week, the United Mine Workers of America celebrated its 125th anniversary. The union has faced a lot of issues during its existence — from government takeovers to increased safety regulations, including a number of major ones that remain unresolved
Championing Regulation, EPA Brings More ‘Extreme’ to the X Games
February 2, 2015
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy traveled to the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo. last week to raise awareness of climate change and its effects on snow based recreation. In an attempt to reach a younger audience, McCarthy spoke
EPA Putting Electricity Grid At Risk
January 30, 2015
When the temperature dips below freezing, reliable electricity becomes more than a matter of convenience but a matter of life and death. Unfortunately, the reliability of our electric grid is at-risk due to EPA regulations that are shutting down America’s
John Pippy: Coal Still Plays a Big Role in Pennsylvania
January 23, 2015
Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord’s recent op-ed supporting the EPA’s so-called Clean Power Plan mandating carbon emission standards (“Pennsylvania Should Embrace the New-Energy Economy,” Dec. 30) came up short in several respects. Mr. McCord acknowledged that compliance with the proposed standards
