Feature Stories
Energy Initiative at MIT: Carbon Capture Can Salvage Coal
September 2, 2016
Power plants can meet the Obama administration’s goal of cutting carbon emissions without abandoning their use of coal, but the costs of carbon capture and storage technology may inhibit its potential. Although full implementation of the administration’s Clean Power Plan
Western Officials Fear New EPA Rules Could Cripple Hard Rock Mining Operations
August 31, 2016
There is growing fear among officials across the West that in the waning days of the Obama administration his Environmental Protection Agency may enact regulations that could cost the hard rock mining industry billions of dollars, jeopardizing jobs and entire
Kinross Gold’s Bald Mountain Mine Expansion Plan in Nevada Makes Way for Wildlife
August 31, 2016
Bald Mountain Mine south of the Ruby Mountains has started expansion work now that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has approved an alternate plan that mitigates concerns about mule deer migration, including a major cut in the acreage that
Big Brutus Mining Shovel in Kansas Stands Sixteen Stories High, Weighs Eleven Million Pounds
August 26, 2016
At one time, between Cherokee County and Crawford County, there were 63 mines that produced a third of the nation’s coal. But the mining industry went through a downturn in southeast Kansas following World War II and never really recovered.
Mining Sector Outlook Improves Despite Losses and Brexit
August 26, 2016
With mining company BHP Billiton reporting a record loss for the past year, you could be forgiven for thinking it was all doom and gloom for the sector. But all is not as it seems. In fact, data from the
Nigeria Seeks $7 Billion to Kick-Start Mines, Steel Industry
August 24, 2016
Nigeria is looking for investments of $7 billion in mining and steel over the next decade as it seeks to develop gold and iron ore extraction industries to diversify its oil-dependent economy. One of the government’s priorities is to meet
Coal Industry on Hunt for Funding to Help Capture Carbon
August 24, 2016
Industry and lawmakers are pushing for funding to help commercialize carbon capture projects for new and old power plants. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said there should be a focus on moving technology beyond lab research to field test commercially viable
New Study from King University Takes a Critical Look at the “War on Coal”
August 22, 2016
The King Institute for Regional Economic Studies (KIRES) has released a new study. KIRES Report No. 16, “An Economic and Statistical Analysis of the ‘War on Coal,’” was prepared by Dr. Sam Evans, director of KIRES and associate professor of
Appalachian Coal Ash Richest in Rare Earth Elements
August 22, 2016
A study of the content of rare earth elements in U.S. coal ashes shows that coal mined from the Appalachian Mountains could be the proverbial golden goose for hard-to-find materials critical to clean energy and other emerging technologies. In the
Why Wyoming Coal is Thriving
August 19, 2016
From Stan Burling’s house at the end of Main Street, it’s a minute walk to downtown Hazen in central North Dakota. The street sports a thriving business community in this town of 2,400 with amenities like a drug store, an
