The Energy Report
Bills Support Miners’ Pensions, Black Lung Benefits
A Senate bill would help fund miners’ pensions, including those affected by recent bankruptcies. In the House, a bill would re-instate a historic tax on coal companies to fund healthcare for miners with black lung disease.
Read MoreFeds Propose Transporting Liquified Natural Gas on Rails
Federal regulators proposed a rule in October that would allow the transportation of liquefied natural gas by rail without any new safety regulations or testing.
Read MoreNew Federal Pipeline Safety Rules Attract Criticism
Federal regulators announced new pipeline safety rules in September, but pipeline opponents argue the updated rules are not strong enough.
Read MoreWest Virginia Fossil Fuel Severance Tax Impacts State Budget
Lower-than-expected income from fossil fuel severance taxes is putting the West Virginia state budget in a bind. Some advocate for raising the severance tax rate on natural gas.
Read MoreStates Request Decision on Power Plant Bailout Plan
Kentucky and five other states sent letters to federal authorities on the Trump administration’s plans to bail out failing coal and nuclear plants. And an investigation into a similar Ohio law found possible conflicts of interest.
Read MoreElectric Utility News From Around the Region
News updates concerning the Tennessee Valley Authority, Duke Energy, Old Dominion Power, Dominion Energy, and local power companies.
Read MoreCoal Company Seeks Mine Permit in Tennessee Wildlife Area
Federal regulators have reopened the permit process for a proposed 422-acre mine in Campbell County, Tenn., which was met with objections from environmental groups.
Read MoreTrump Administration Rolls Back More Environmental Protections
President Donald Trump’s administration has made numerous cuts to environmental protections including those for methane emissions, protected waters, light bulb standards, and coal ash storage.
Read MoreNorth Carolina and Virginia Announce Clean Energy Goals
The governors of North Carolina and Virginia both announced clean energy goals that include full carbon neutrality in the power generation sector by 2050
Read MoreAudit Finds Mine Safety Penalties Ineffective
An August 2019 federal audit of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration found that mine safety penalties did not contribute to the overall safety of mining operations.
Read More