coal

The Dutch parliament’s vote in favor of a motion to cut carbon emissions 55% by 2030 could spell the end of coal-fired power generation in the European nation. Although nonbinding, the measure would bring the Netherlands in line with agreements negotiated during the Paris climate talks that took place late last year. What it means […]

Deciding to retire a coal-fired unit is often a tough call, but even tougher decisions follow. The next steps taken by a generation owner have multiple economic, environmental, and stakeholder consequences. Since 2000, U.S. generating companies (Gencos) have announced the closure of more than 200 coal-fired power plants, totaling 102 GW of generating capacity. Closures […]

A fire at Muscatine (Iowa) Power and Water’s (MP&W’s) coal-fired power plant forced Unit 9 offline on August 30. The plant—located along the Mississippi River just south of town—includes three units with a combined capacity of about 276 MW. Units 7 and 8 were reportedly unaffected and continue to be available for power production. Customers […]

The Sandy Creek coal-fired power plant—a 900-MW facility in Riesel, Texas—won a major victory in court on August 19 when a McLennan County jury agreed that the plant was appraised at a much higher value than justified by market conditions. The appraisal district had suggested the plant be valued at $900 million in 2014 and […]

By the end of this year, energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from natural gas could surpass emissions from coal for the first time in nearly 45 years, according to projections by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook notes that consumption of natural gas in the U.S. between 1990 and 2005 […]

The downturn in the U.S. coal industry isn’t just hurting coal mining and coal-heavy power companies; it’s also having a devastating effect on the groups formed to help promote the industry—coal lobbyists. Three of the most prominent coal lobbying groups have seen high-profile supporters drop off of their membership lists in recent years, and with […]

El Paso Electric Celebrates Milestone, National Environmental Organization Lauds Utility August 03, 2016 11:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time EL PASO, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–El Paso Electric (EPE) (NYSE: EE) today celebrates a milestone as the only utility in Texas and New Mexico to generate electricity 100 percent coal-free. By eliminating the coal generation from the company’s portfolio […]

China’s once-booming coal power sector is facing an existential challenge as continued breakneck expansion of new capacity is colliding with flattened growth in power demand, despite increasingly strenuous government efforts to put the brakes on new construction. According to a pair of new studies, China’s overcapacity in coal-fired generation could reach a staggering 400 GW […]

A severe water crisis gripping India this year has forced several of the country’s hydroelectric and thermal power plants to shut down. At least 10 of India’s 29 states have been stricken by severe drought after the monsoons failed for two seasons in a row (as of the start of July, the monsoons had still […]