WSJ: As Oil Jobs Dry Up, Workers Turn to Solar FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrint分享Lynn Cook for the Wall Street Journal:Rig hands, roustabouts, pipe fitters and even some engineers are finding a surprising alternative in the utility-scale solar farms rising from the desert near the border with New Mexico.Nearly a dozen solar projects able to generate almost 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy are in the works, enough to power 165,000 homes. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the state power grid, expects an additional 12,000 megawatts of solar power to come online by 2030.The 30,000 jobs the U.S. solar sector is projected to add this year are a fraction of the estimated 150,000 American jobs being lost in oil. And it remains to be seen whether such workers will stay in the solar sector if an oil boom returns, and beckons again with the lure of bigger paychecks that can stretch into the six figures.Full article: As Oil Jobs Dry Up, Workers Turn to Solar Sector read more

FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrint分享The Guardian:Godda, in the Indian state of Jharkhand, is surrounded by the country’s most productive coal mines. It will soon also be home to the Adani group’s latest coal-fired power station, a plant built for the sole purpose of sending energy across the border to Bangladesh.Adani has framed its planned 1,600-megawatt Godda power plant as a humanitarian venture. In a statement to Guardian Australia, the company said it had acted “in the large interests of our neighbours, the people of Bangladesh” by inking the deal.But market analysts say the supply agreement is anything but benevolent. The tariffs quoted by the Bangladesh Power Development Board are about double the current cost of solar and wind power in India. Tim Buckley, a former head of equity research at Citigroup and now an analyst with the pro-renewable energy group the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), says there is a more obvious reason for Adani to build Godda: to prop up the prospects of the proposed Carmichael mega mine in Queensland.Two deadlines for Adani to finance Carmichael have come and gone. Buckley said potential investors had balked, partly because there were no “bankable” off-take agreements in place. Effectively, Adani has nothing concrete to demonstrate that it can sell, and profit from, the high-ash coal it plans to extract from the Galilee basin.Adani did not respond directly to a series of questions asking the company to outline specific plans and agreements for Carmichael coal. It said in a statement that “as a significant coal trader in the region, Adani is well-placed to secure customers for Carmichael coal both from within the Adani group of companies and outside the group.”Despite Godda’s proximity to India’s coal heartland, Adani would have to import coal to the new plant. Buckley estimates the 700 km—and 8 km/h—train journey to Godda from the coast would add US$16 a tonne to the cost of coal to fuel the new plant, relative to a coastal power plant. He says the deal is clearly not in the interests of Bangladesh, which would bear the costs of imported coal and unnecessary transport. Buckley said the country could import power more cheaply by seeking fuel-agnostic competitive tenders from the Indian market.“Godda would lock Bangladesh into expensive electricity with high emissions at a time when cleaner, cheaper alternative sources of energy are rapidly being deployed across India,” Buckley said.More: Adani Builds Coal-Fired Power Plant In India To Send Energy To Bangladesh Godda Plant a Bad Deal For Bangladesh read more

FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrint分享Casper Star Tribune:Retired coal miners from Kemmerer likely lost their company health benefits Friday when a judge decided that Westmoreland Coal Co. could eliminate retirement health care and a union contract in order to sell the Kemmerer coal mine to a Virginia businessman.Judge David R. Jones of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston said he would not enter a final order on the matter until Tuesday, giving the United Mine Workers of America and the coal company time to negotiate a deal.Westmoreland filed for bankruptcy in October. The Colorado Springs, Colorado-based firm is one of the oldest coal operators in the U.S. It had taken on more than $1 billion in debt when it filed for bankruptcy last year and was struggling to operate under that debt given the well-known headwinds of the coal market, it argued in court filings.In order to sell the Kemmerer mine to new operators, Westmoreland has argued that it must eliminate union agreements that affect the nearly 300 employees of the western Wyoming mine as well as obligations to retired miners and dependents, many of whom still reside in the region.United Mine Workers of America had argued that responsibilities to employees and former miners of Kemmerer are protected in binding contracts between the miners and owners of the mine. That argument now becomes one for a Virginia billionaire to hear instead of the judge.The man trying to buy the Kemmerer mine, Tom Clarke, said in an interview Friday that changes to employee benefits are “painful” but necessary. Clarke is the stalking horse bidder for the Kemmerer mine via an LLC in Virginia. A stalking horse is a qualified buyer named by a bankrupt company ahead of asset auction. A stalking horse is intended to encourage competition and potentially raise bids at auction. Clark is also his own guarantor for the cost of the Kemmerer bid, via an affiliate company.More: Judge rules coal company can eliminate Kemmerer retirees’ health care, union contract Bankruptcy judge’s ruling likely to eliminate retiree benefits as part of Westmoreland’s Kemmerer mine sale read more

FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrint分享Reuters:Top U.S. pension funds are asking electric utilities to accelerate efforts to cut carbon emissions but will not force the issue with proxy resolutions this spring, hoping market shifts and falling prices for renewable energy have already made executives and directors receptive to the goal.Investors including New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, who oversees retirement funds, and leaders of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System are asking the 20 largest publicly traded electric generators in the United States for detailed plans for achieving carbon-free electricity by 2050 at the latest, according to material seen by Reuters.Stringer termed decarbonization a “financial necessity” in a statement sent by a spokeswoman. “This initiative makes clear that mobilizing for the planet goes hand-in-hand with protecting our pensions, and we need these commitments now.”Large utilities receiving the letter include Duke Energy Corp and NRG Energy Inc. Each has already moved toward cutting emissions: Duke has set a goal of reducing carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030 from its 2005 levels, and NRG aims to cut emissions in half by 2030 and by 90 percent by 2050 compared with 2014 levels.Funds involved in Stringer’s effort collectively manage $1.8 trillion and also include Hermes Investment Management and money overseen by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.More: Big U.S. pension funds ask electric utilities for decarbonization plans U.S. pension funds push big utilities to adopt carbon-free generation plans read more

FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrint分享Reuters:Norwegian pension fund manager KLP has sold 3.2 billion crowns ($366 million) of bond and equity exposure in 46 companies, including leading miners BHP and Anglo American, after a decision to withdraw from thermal coal.Fund managers have become increasingly reluctant to risk investing in companies linked to fossil fuels or other activities regarded as unsustainable as popular pressure mounts for action to limit environmental damage.KLP also said it sold its 97 million crown stake in Brazilian miner Vale last month because of concerns over a dam disaster that killed an estimated 300 people in January.On Tuesday KLP said it would no longer invest in any company that obtains more than 5 percent of revenue from coal-based activities, adding that the minimal threshold is because it is difficult to get accurate information on all revenue below that level.“Coal cannot and should not be part of energy supply in the future,” Chief Executive Sverre Thornes said in a statement.KLP, which manages about 600 billion crowns in total, has progressively cut its coal exposure and says its stance now is among the strictest of any passive fund.More: Norway’s KLP pension fund cuts coal exposure Norway’s KLP pension fund cuts coal exposure read more

Bernstein analysts: LNG production in U.S. is ‘unsustainable’ at current prices FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrint分享S&P Global Market Intelligence ($):Low global prices for LNG spot cargoes are increasing the likelihood that U.S. LNG production will begin to be shut-in soon, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analysts said March 4.Prices have collapsed in recent months on concerns of oversupply and weaker-than-expected demand in a relatively mild winter. The outbreak of a new coronavirus that is rattling financial markets has also exacerbated the glut by stifling demand, while supply continues to grow with U.S. projects coming online.“The current gas market is unsustainable,” the Bernstein analysts said. “Prices will have to rise or U.S. capacity has to shut down.”The benchmark price for spot-traded LNG in Northeast Asia, the Platts Japan Korea Marker is hovering around $3/MMBtu, a level that does not support shipments of spot cargoes from the U.S. The Platts Japan Korea Marker price dropped below $4/MMBtu on Jan. 23 for the first time in 10 years.So far, U.S. shut-ins have not been evident. A number of factors explain why, according to Bernstein, which expects near-term prices to remain low into the summer. Some buyers’ contracts do not allow them to cancel U.S. LNG cargoes. Buyers who do have cancellation rights can pass along costs to end-users and earn a margin at a percentage of the costs, incentivizing them to keep lifting U.S. cargoes. How buyers consider shipping costs could be another factor, the analysts said.Further cancellations of LNG cargoes might not have a dramatic financial impact on U.S. LNG projects, Goltz said. But throttled-back exports could ripple through the natural gas value chain and pummel Henry Hub prices in an already oversupplied domestic market. Low gas prices benefit utility buyers and end consumers, Bernstein said. But a prolonged slump would harm higher-cost LNG exporters and gas producers in the U.S.[Corey Paul]More ($): ‘Unsustainable’ gas prices could force US LNG shut-ins soon, Bernstein says read more

American Electric Power takes last unit at Conesville coal plant offline FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrint分享The Columbus Dispatch:An end of an era was reached Wednesday in Conesville as the American Electric Power plant that started in 1957 ceased production of energy.The plant is targeted for decommissioning on May 31, but plant officials reported the last usable coal on site has been sent to the generation unit. A small staff will remain to shut down the unit and transition to new property owners, who have not been announced yet.Tom Seward, energy production superintendent, said in a Facebook post that what coal remains on the ground is to keep water from entering the underground reclamation area. Erich Skelley, safety and health, security and human performance associate, said a main goal as May 31 neared was to use all the coal on site as it was more efficient than having any remaining coal transferred to another plant.Most coal-fired plants last about 40 years, so the Conesville plant at 62 years beat expectations by more than 20. The first unit went online on Dec. 26, 1957, with the second following in 1959. Unit 3 started in 1963, Unit 4 in 1973, Unit 5 in 1976 and Unit 6 in 1978. Unit 4, the largest, was the only one operating at the end. AEP took over the plant in 1981 after purchasing Columbus Southern Ohio Electric Co.AEP announced in October 2018 that the plant was closing in May 2020. The decision was based on costs to keep the plant operating and the outcomes of competitive generation auctions.[Leonard Hayhurst]More: AEP Conesville reaches end of coal-burning era read more

Four years ago, at age 27, avid outdoorsman Andrew Stevens was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and given mere months to live. Against all odds, he continued living a passionate, adventure-filled life—running, hiking, and backpacking in his beloved Blue Ridge Mountains. He passed away on January 30, 2009, but his spirit of service and passion for the outdoors live on. In remembrance of Stevens, Blue Ridge Mountain Sports will lead a “Cancer Takes a Hike” trip each fall as a fundraiser for the Colon Cancer Alliance. Last October, Stevens lead a fundraiser hike called “Cancer Takes a Hike” supporting the Colon Cancer Alliance. After the hike, Stevens expressed his gratitude: “Every time I get to go on a hike, I take back one of the greatest things cancer took from me. Every trip is a small victory for everyone I’ve lost to cancer…and for everyone who has struggled and suffered with, supported and loved me through this entire ordeal. The excitement and joy I get from a hike balances out the anxiety and despair I have for trips to the chemo lab. I cannot do one without the other. Chemo may have saved my life, but hiking makes me feel alive.” Andrew Stevens “In the face of what could have been a crippling burden, Andrew grew more vital and in many ways more alive then he had ever been,” said Bill Wilson, operations director for Blue Ridge Mountain Sports in Glen Allen, Va., where Stevens worked as store manager for 11 years. “He demonstrated an abiding passion for the wild world around him and complained only about his inability to spend more time on the trail.” “He was a dedicated husband, son, brother, friend, and inspiration to all who had the pleasure to know him,” said Kurt Peterson, Steven’s friend and co-worker at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports. “He was a tireless beacon of energy and hope, and the world will be a little darker without his light.” For more information or to make a donation in memory of Andrew Stevens, visit brmsstore.com/blogs/community. read more

Race DetailsWhen: June 1, 2013Where: Leesburg, Va.What: Half MarathonStart time: 7:00 amRace size: 3,000Website: www.destinationraces.comThe Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon is not just a running race, it’s a destination lifestyle experience. Destination Races produces the Wine Country Half Marathon series in renowned wine regions. Loudoun County plays host to this popular event located in and around historic Leesburg, VA, one hour west of Washington DC.Race [email protected] read more

Your daily news update for January 30th, the day Peter Leko became the world’s youngest-ever grand master in chess.Name That Creek!Wouldn’t it be neat to have a waterway named after your great great great Uncle Walter Raleigh III or your pet Shnookums? For so long, I’ve always wondered how rivers and creeks got their names. Now, I know. Kinda.Enter RiverLink, an Asheville-based group devoted to economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River and its tributaries. Founded in 1987 out of a need for rezoning and renewing the French Broad riverfront, RiverLink helps promote the local waterways’ public access and recreational opportunities as well as the issues surrounding water quality. RiverLink also helps name previously unknown streams and creeks that feed into the French Broad watershed, an ongoing program called Name That Creek.RiverLink is asking the community for suggestions on what to name the creek that runs through Westwood Place in East West Asheville, N.C. The stream runs through the neighborhood and into the New Belgium Brewing site on Craven Street.Think you have a killer name for the creek? Check out RiverLink’s form on their website or email suggestions to [email protected] on the Chemical Spill in West VirginiaOver 300,000 West Virginia residents are left without clean water this month thanks to a Freedom Industries tank that leaked coal-processing chemicals into the Elk River on January 9th. Initially, Freedom Industries reported that only 7,500 gallons of the chemical 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (also known as MCHM) were released, but last week the company changed that number to 10,000 gallons and admitted to a second chemical’s presence, a mixture of polyglycol ethers known as PPH.On Tuesday, three U.S. senators met in Washington, D.C., to introduce legislation that would prevent locals from dealing with contaminated drinking water in the future. The legislation would require proper inspection of factories by state officials and would put into place effective disaster response procedures for any future incidents. This legislation will hopefully serve as a solid foundation for holding coal companies in the state accountable for their environmental impact. However, with the recent news of Freedom Industries claiming bankruptcy and having their assets claimed by the newly created Mountaineer Financing LLC, it appears that Freedom Industries is trying to avoid taking any financial or ethical responsibility for the spill (see video for details).Although the ban on tap water was lifted as of January 18th, officials still discourage pregnant women from drinking the local water and have adopted a “drink at your own risk” rule. Local businesses, schools, and private residences are still experiencing unpleasant aromas and discoloration in the water, and many have continued to boil water for bathing and cleaning purposes while using bottled water for drinking and cooking.West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has called for the Freedom Industries storage facility to be torn down, and for a full remediation of the site.Bell Built Trail Building Contest LaunchedHave an idea for a trail system on the East? Maybe you think your town needs a pump track or a bike park, maybe some gravity singletrack or flowing trails for all levels. Whatever and wherever you want it, Bell Helmets and IMBA have a solution for you.From January 13 until February 28, Bell will be accepting applications for bike-specific projects, selecting twelve finalists from across the United States. Finalists will then be asked to submit photo, video, and graphics to help promote their project. Fellow mountain bikers and members of the outdoor community will then have the opportunity to vote for their project of choice, culminating in the selection of three winners, one from each region (West Coast, Central and East Coast). Bell Helmets will grant $100,000 in technical assistance to fund the three projects to completion.Are your wheels a-turnin’? What do you have to lose? It’s a win-win situation. Even if your project doesn’t get selected, the mountain biking community walks away with three new trail systems across the States, and that’s good for everyone. Check out the rules and application form here. read more