According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), coal consumption hit another new record last year—8.77 billion metric tons—due to soaring coal use by China and India. Global coal demand is expected to grow by 1% in 2024—down from 2.4% growth in 2023. …
News Tag: renewable energy
Low-Energy Fridays: If renewable energy is cheaper, then why don’t we use it exclusively?
The fundamental assertion behind many climate protests and activism is that decision-makers do not do enough. Often, the specific claim is that an apparent solution—transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy—is being sidelined or that decision-makers are under the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists. As is often the case, this isn’t the full story. An appreciation …
The Moral Case for Coal
As advanced nations pursue the glittering dream of transitioning to alternative forms of energy–issuing calls and challenges for the rest of the world to join the parade–the one constant that got us here in the first place has been unfairly slandered and vilified to promote the promise of renewable energy. …
Duke Extends the Life of Its Largest Coal Plant
Duke Energy Corp. plans to extend the life of its largest coal-fired power plant for 3 years, pushing aside its climate goal to shutter all facilities that burn coal by 2035. Duke says its emission-reduction goals are not changed but are not linear and its resource plans are not final decisions as they are revised regularly. Duke’s power …
The Supreme Court Will Not Stay the EPA Power Plant Rule While It Goes through the Lower Courts
The Supreme Court has decided not to stay the EPA’s “power plant rule” that requires the use of an expensive and non-commercial technology while lower courts deliberate the rule and its legality. …
Renewables not cost competitive until mid-century – Glencore
Renewable energy will not be cost competitive with fossil fuels until 2050, Glencore said on Tuesday, much later than energy organizations forecast and supporting the mining and trading giant’s case for continued investment in coal. …
PJM power auction results yield sharply higher prices
An annual power market auction by the largest U.S. electrical grid operator resulted in prices more than 800% higher than last year as supply dwindled and demand increased, the operator said on Tuesday. …
Halfway Between Kyoto and 2050
This essay evaluates past carbon emission reduction and the feasibility of eliminating fossil fuels to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050. Despite international agreements, government spending and regulations, and technological advancements, global fossil fuel consumption surged by 55 percent between 1997 and 2023. And the share of fossil fuels in global energy consumption has only decreased …
Consol Energy aims to be a leading force in slowing the shift to renewable energy
Pacing is a multifaceted theme at Consol Energy Inc., a 160-year-old coal mining company with its headquarters in the oil and gas mecca of Southpointe in Washington County. At the entrance to the mine’s portal in Prosperity is the first of many “Not So Fast” signs. A perfectly reasonable interpretation of the sign’s message is …
Two-minute descent: Enlow Fork Mine tour offers rare glimpse into ‘underground city’
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 part of the earth that few people ever see. It’s a two-minute trip to the …