Coal

Coal is a fossil fuel primarily made of carbon and generates the most energy in the world. These articles focus on legislation that affects coal use, for example, the Clean Water Act and the EPA’s Mountaintop Mining Rules. Clean coal technology is also discussed. We also include articles that address the transition from coal as a primary energy source to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.

EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards ‘Costly’ and ‘Time-Consuming’ for Coal Plants

EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards ‘Costly’ and ‘Time-Consuming’ for Coal PlantsCompliance with the EPA's Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) poses "significant challenges" for coal plants, forcing many to retire rather than make the ...

May 14, 2012

EL Pro AEP Sustainability Report: Carbon Emissions Rise 1.5%, Revenues up 4.8%

AEP Sustainability Report: Carbon Emissions Rise 1.5%, Revenues up 4.8%American Electric Power's total CO2 emissions rose just shy of 1.5 percent from 2010 to 2011, while revenues rose 4.8 percent over that time period, ...

May 9, 2012

NREL Unveils ‘More Accurate’ Energy Project Emissions Calculator

NREL Unveils ‘More Accurate’ Energy Project Emissions CalculatorCradle-to-grave greenhouse gas emissions from solar photovoltaics are about 5 percent of those from coal; wind and solar are about equal in emissions; and nuclear ...

May 8, 2012

EL Pro Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Australia Carbon Tax, Japanese Nuclear, More Fracking Rules

Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Australia Carbon Tax, Japanese Nuclear, More Fracking RulesHere's the latest policy, enforcement and legal news affecting corporate environmental and energy executives. Today's briefing includes 12 items. The Australian government's preliminary list of ...

May 7, 2012

EL Pro Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Keystone XL, Korea ETS, Fracking Rules, Clean Energy Standard

Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Keystone XL, Korea ETS, Fracking Rules, Clean Energy StandardHere's the latest policy, enforcement and legal news affecting corporate environmental and energy executives. Today's briefing includes 10 items. TransCanada is expected to reapply for its ...

May 4, 2012

NV Energy Cooling System to Cut Water Use by 281m Gallons a Year

NV Energy Cooling System to Cut Water Use by 281m Gallons a YearNV Energy's coal-fired Reid Gardner Station north of Las Vegas will reduce its water withdrawals by more than 281 million gallons annually with a Nalco ...

April 13, 2012

EL Pro Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Calif. Chemicals, Refinery Agreement, Loan Program Revived

Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Calif. Chemicals, Refinery Agreement, Loan Program RevivedHere's the latest policy, enforcement and legal news affecting corporate environmental and energy executives. Today's briefing includes 10 items. The California Department of Toxic Substance ...

April 9, 2012

Coal Power Plants to Increase Capacity, GBI Says

Coal Power Plants to Increase Capacity, GBI SaysThe consumption of coal in North America is expected to grow to 940.4 million metric tons (MMt) over the next eight years, as a result ...

April 2, 2012

Energy Use in Manufacturing Down 10% in Four Years

Energy Use in Manufacturing Down 10% in Four YearsEnergy consumption in the U.S. manufacturing sector fell from 21,098 trillion Btu (tBtu) in 2006 to 19,062 tBtu in 2010, a decline of almost 10 ...

March 30, 2012

EPA Proposes Carbon Regulations for New Power Plants

EPA Proposes Carbon Regulations for New Power PlantsThe EPA has released its first proposed Clean Air Act standard for carbon pollution from new power plants. Under the Carbon Pollution Standard for New ...

March 28, 2012

EL Pro Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Indian Point, EPA Overruled on Coal, UK Delays GHG Reporting Law

Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Indian Point, EPA Overruled on Coal, UK Delays GHG Reporting LawEntergy, the owner of Indian Point nuclear plant in Buchanan, N.Y., has agreed with the New York State DEC to pay a $1.2 million penalty ...

March 28, 2012

EL Pro Henkel Sustainability Report: Energy Consumption, Carbon Emissions Drop 9% Year-On-Year

Henkel Sustainability Report: Energy Consumption, Carbon Emissions Drop 9% Year-On-YearHenkel, the company behind Dial, Purex, Right Guard and other personal care brands, reduced its energy consumption by over nine percent from 2010 to 2011, ...

March 9, 2012

Pollution Control Market to Top $9bn by 2017, Report Says

Pollution Control Market to Top $9bn by 2017, Report SaysThe global air pollution control equipment market should grow significantly once utility, oil and gas companies comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations such as the ...

March 7, 2012

EL Pro Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Offshore Wind, Clean Energy Standard, 10 Coal-Fired Plants to Retire

Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Offshore Wind, Clean Energy Standard, 10 Coal-Fired Plants to RetireA planned six-year $180 million Department of Energy initiative is targeting the potential of offshore wind energy. Four offshore wind energy installations will have access ...

March 2, 2012

Energy-Intensive Midwest Manufacturing Needs Efficiency Shot, Report Finds

Energy-Intensive Midwest Manufacturing Needs Efficiency Shot, Report FindsMidwest states tend to be heavy on manufacturing but light on energy efficiency programs, according to the World Resource Institute's Midwest Manufacturing Snapshot: Energy ...

February 29, 2012

ConocoPhillips, Others Show Thirst for Groundwater

ConocoPhillips, Others Show Thirst for GroundwaterAs water conservation measures come up short, industrial facilities, including one owned by ConocoPhillips, are increasingly turning to groundwater as a water source, according to ...

February 28, 2012

Nuclear Has Nine Times the Potential of Solar, Report Says

Nuclear Has Nine Times the Potential of Solar, Report SaysThe United States' capacity for the expansion of nuclear power is almost nine times greater than for that of solar thermal power, according to research ...

February 28, 2012

EL Pro Policy & Enforcement Briefing: CSAPR Signed & Adjusted, New Nukes, Keystone XL, Fracking Tax

Policy & Enforcement Briefing: CSAPR Signed & Adjusted, New Nukes, Keystone XL, Fracking TaxThe EPA has made a few adjustments to its cross-state air pollution rules (CSAPR), which were signed Tuesday. The adjustments increase budgets in 17 ...

February 10, 2012

EL Pro Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Bank of England Considers Carbon Bubble, Diesel Health Study Delayed

Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Bank of England Considers Carbon Bubble, Diesel Health Study DelayedThe governor of the Bank of England has acknowledged that there is a need for evaluation of the financial system's exposure to high carbon and ...

February 8, 2012

EL Pro Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Climate Risk, Solyndra, MATS, Clean Air Act, China Diesel Emissions

Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Climate Risk, Solyndra, MATS, Clean Air Act, China Diesel EmissionsInsurance commissioners in California, New York and the state of Washington said that insurance companies must disclose disaster response and risk management plans for increasingly ...

February 3, 2012