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You are invited to join an exclusive group of American Coal Council (ACC) member companies who have elevated their level of commitment to the ACC through their Annual Sponsorship support. In doing so, these companies have also gained recognition as industry leaders in supporting the ACC’s objective to advance the development and utilization of coal as an economic, abundant and environmentally sound fuel source.

By Joseph Hammond
Long synonymous with oil, Texas has a new distinction - home to the world's largest clean coal plant.

The $1 billion project southwest of Houston allows a 240-megawatt (equivalent) coal-fired power plant to capture about 90 percent of its carbon dioxide emissions for use in enhanced oil recovery. This produces significant reductions in greenhouse gasses associated with climate change.

The project is a joint venture between NRG, the largest independent power producer in the United States, and JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration, the largest Japanese oil company. The Department of Energy spent $190 million to support the development of the technology.

By Naureen Malik and Alix Steel
U.S. power generator Dynegy Inc. sees coal regaining some market share as President-elect Donald Trump promises to put more miners back to work

"Certainly more coal is good for us" and helps make coal-fired plants more profitable when natural gas and electricity prices rise, Dynegy Chief Executive Officer Robert Flexon said in a Bloomberg Television interview with Alix Steel Wednesday. He doesn’t see the economics shifting enough to spur the construction of new coal-generating capacity. Rather, any gains would be through existing coal plants taking market share away from natural gas and, possibly, nuclear, he said.

By Houston (Platts)
The U.S. will burn and produce more coal this year than in 2016, the Energy Information Administration said Tuesday.

In its first Short-Term Energy Outlook of the year, the EIA estimates electric power sector coal consumption will increase by 6 percent, or 41 million st, year over year to 720 million st on higher natural gas prices and increased electricity generation.

The agency said the Henry Hub natural gas spot price should average $3.55/MMBtu in 2017, up more than $1 from $2.51/MMBtu in 2016. Consumption is estimated to have fallen 8 percent, or 60 million st, in 2016 to 678.7 million st.

The United States has been a global economic leader since the end of World War II. Our skills, innovation and research and development capabilities have kept America at the forefront of new technologies for decades. This has allowed us to outpace our economic rivals and dominate valuable markets.

The renewable energy sector provides a good case in point. The development of geothermal, wind, solar and water energy sources have broadened the domestic energy supply and positioned the U.S. as a world leader in this arena. Why are we not putting that same focus on new clean coal technologies? It is one of our most important homegrown sources of energy, and, despite popular perception, still abundant.

Unfortunately, despite its low cost and capability to produce jobs, coal has been recast in the American mindset as old-fashioned and damaging to the environment. Those who speak favorably of clean coal technology are typically branded as behind the times or dismissive of long-term planetary health. Shaming has become a potent weapon for those who want to shut down intellectual discourse on the positive role of fossil fuels in America’s energy future.

By John Siciliano
The countdown has begun on Capitol Hill to dig out from under the Obama administration's environmental regulations, now that President Trump, who has vowed to repeal a number of regulations in his first 100 days, has moved into the Oval Office.

The Republican-controlled Congress needs to move quickly to head off two regulations that the GOP leadership has targeted for repeal: a rule imposing big restrictions on coal mining and another for regulating oil drillers' methane emissions.

GILLETTE, Wyoming (BUSINESS WIRE)–Cloud Peak Energy Inc. Antelope Mine recently received the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Industry Reclamation Wildlife Stewardship Award. The mine, located in Northeastern Wyoming, was recognized for its successful efforts to promote population numbers of Golden Eagles and other raptors through habitat enhancement and use of effective protection measures, including rescuing a young eaglet that was later released at the mine following rehabilitation.

Coal-fired power plants provide what is known as base-load power. Base-load refers to electricity sources that can operate 24/7. These plants provide reliable power to maintain a large-scale electrical grid and generally shut down only for scheduled maintenance or emergency repairs. Base-load plants are also able to be dispatched. Their output can be adjusted as electricity demand rises and falls. Intermittent sources, such as wind and solar are at not able to be dispatched and are undependable on cloudy days, at night, and when the wind is not blowing. Coal-fired power plants also provide reserve capabilities so the grid remains reliable even when intermittent sources are not available.