A new study from the Energy Information Administration finds the Clean Power Plan speeds coal’s decline.
Coal
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How Utah coal interests helped push a secret plan to export coal from California
Companies and investors are trying to survive a collapsing U.S. coal market.
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How the Keep it in the Ground movement came to be
A look back at a decade of coverage of anti-fossil fuel protests.
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Federal coal leasing needs a major overhaul
The winds of change are blowing hard across our Western coalfields. Competition from cheaper fuels such as natural gas, wind and solar has dampened domestic demand for coal. This trend ‒ plus a bust in export markets after a brief boom ‒ has driven five major coal companies into bankruptcy court. There, they seek protection […]
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Dispatch from coal country: Advocates and adversaries duel over leasing reform
In western Colorado, two visions for the future of fossil fuels collide at a BLM listening session.
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By the numbers: Western coal mine layoffs
Coal mines are scaling back and shutting down — and jobs are disappearing.
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Trump’s contradictory promise: Bring back coal and boost natural gas
Experts say low natural gas prices are the biggest cause of coal’s downturn.
Posted inMay 16, 2016: Grizzly Face-Off
What the U.S. can learn from European coal miners’ second act
Europe and the U.S. have taken different paths in response to climate concerns and coal declines.
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Video: Coal industry downturn rocks a Colorado mountain town
Former miners watch an iconic silo crumble, and discuss what it means for their community.
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The end of coal is bringing a wrenching transition
Mixed feelings from the anti-coal bandwagon as closures wreak havoc on small-town economies.
Posted inMay 2, 2016: The Gold King Reckoning
Gnome sharpshooting, satanic texts in schools, and coal bonuses
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
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New renewable energy projects may find opportunity in old transmission lines
A Montana wind energy project plans to make use of existing infrastructure built for coal.
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Coal downturn hits railroads hard
Federal transportation board rejected a proposed Montana railroad due to coal bankruptcies.
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Can we learn from Europe’s approach to laid-off coal miners?
A more secure safety net for workers in transition means higher taxes, a tradeoff many Americans oppose.
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Will states find other revenue streams to weather the fossil fuel bust?
Powerhouses like Wyoming and Alaska are shrinking budgets, not looking for new sources of income.
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Uncertain future for Wyoming’s laid off coal miners
There’s some state support available but many workers face tough choices.
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How much do Western state budgets rely on extractive industries?
Resource-reliant states feel pinch as fossil-fuel revenue dwindles.
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The nation’s biggest coal mines lay off hundreds of workers
Cheap natural gas is the main culprit, but future job cuts will come from climate change policies.
Posted inApril 4, 2016: A Land Divided
Latest: Arch Coal ends its pursuit of Otter Creek coal
The coal company has declared bankruptcy and is backing away from a project that sparked environmental concerns.
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Oregon’s energy plan offers a glimmer of hope for biomass energy
Advocates hope the timber-rich state’s decision to ditch coal could help revive the struggling industry.