Category Archives for Coal Fundamentals
4 New Met Mines Planned for Pennsylvania
At least four new underground metallurgical coal mines are planned for Pennsylvania in 2017 as the industry looks to take advantage of rising demand and prices for met coal both domestically and internationally after spending several years in the doldrums.
Rosebud Mining, Corsa Coal, Robindale Energy and AK Coal Resources all are developing new mines in the Keystone state ranging in size from several hundred thousand tons annually to nearly a million tons a year. Much, though not all, of that output will be earmarked for the seaborne export market. AK Coal, however, plans to supply coal from its new Polaris mine in Somerset County to a plant in Middletown, Ohio, owned and operated by its AK Steel parent company.
Four Critical Energy Issues to Watch in 2017
President-elect Trump will likely start rolling back eight years of Obama administration climate regulations and restrictions on coal, oil and gas development
The U.S. may be on the cusp of a stark turning point in energy and climate policy with the election of Donald Trump, who has stocked his cabinet with a majority of people who doubt or reject established climate science.
Top priorities of the Trump transition team and cabinet nominees — many who disregard the connection between global warming and fossil fuel energy use — include rolling back eight years of Obama administration climate regulations and restrictions on coal, oil and gas development.
MRC Documentary Tells the Story of Lives Devastated by the War on Coal
RESTON, VA – The Media Research Center (MRC) announces the launch of its new documentary titled, Collateral Damage: Forgotten Casualties of the Left’s War on Coal. Several organizations, including, Americans for Tax Reform, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Cornwall Alliance, E&E Legal, and The Heartland Institute, have joined the MRC’s effort to tell the story the liberal media won’t tell.
These coalition allies will be sharing social media content and video to their followers using the hashtag #collateraldamage to get the word out about these untold stories.
Moody’s Boosts North American Coal Industry Outlook
(17 November 2016) Despite persistent challenges, the outlook for the North American coal industry has been revised to stable from negative, Moody’s Investors Service said in a new report. A combination of fourth quarter 2016 metallurgical coal benchmark prices settling at $200 per metric ton (mt) and natural gas prices hovering around $3/MMbtu has provided immediate relief for the strained sector.
The rating agency has also revised its price sensitivity assumptions for seaborne coal prices. In the medium-term range, met coal has been lifted to $90-$130/mt from $85-$90/mt, and Newcastle Thermal assumptions have been increased to $50-$65/mt from $53-$58/mt.
ACC issues statement on Glei-Case Western analysis
URL: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/24102016/acc-issues-statement-on-glei-case-western-analysis
World Coal (October 2016) —A recent analysis by the Great Lakes Energy Institute (GLEI) of Case Western Reserve University concluded the decline of the nation’s coal industry has been due to market forces and technology: “EPA rules have little to do with coal’s decline”, the analysis said. “Shale-gas competition has decimated coal.”
Using Coal Futures to Manage Uncertainty
Peter Keavey, CME Group
Risk management is more important than ever in today’s coal market. Cheap natural gas (NYMEX Henry Hub Natural Gas futures prices remain below $3.00) is competing fiercely with coal in the electricity bid stack. The fight to be the low-cost generator has become even more competitive in recent years, as the efficiency of gas-fired generation has steadily improved, while coal-fueled generation has remained relatively unchanged[1]. Proposed environmental regulations, including the EPA’s newly announced Clean Power Plan, which could lead to wide-scale coal plant retirements, are a major source of uncertainty for the future of the coal industry. While many threats to the coal business are difficult to manage, price risk – arguably the biggest determinant of profitability – can be effectively hedged using futures.
Did you know?
This is one of the best quick, simple, straightforward videos on the benefits of using #coal that I have seen for some time. Thanks to Alpha for putting it together and thanks to Alex Epstein for sending me the link.
1200 new coal plants planned worldwide
A World Resources Institute (WRI) working paper, titled “Global Coal Risk Assessment” indicates that across the world, 1,199 new coal plants – representing a total capacity of 1.4 million MW – are proposed to be built. These plants are proposed in 59 countries. China and India will have almost 80% of the proposed plants.
While this report attempts to paint the construction of new coal plants as something negative, it does provide a complete list of proposed new coal construction.
Coal Leadership Advancement Seminar Series
The first Coal Leadership Advancement Seminar Series (CLASS) program was a success!! Thank you to everyone who joined us on June 26-28 at the The Magnolia Hotel in Downtown Denver Colorado.
CLASS attendees enjoyed a diverse slate of presentations from industry experts who provided in depth instruction on the current state of our industry, as well as what we can expect in the future.
