coal

As China Moves To Other Energy Sources, Its Coal Region Struggles To Adapt

1:12pm November 09, 2017

In Shanxi Province, coal is big business and a source of identity. Now China is closing and consolidating its coal mines under state ownership, and the region has not figured out how to rebound.

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Mary Jo and Mike Picklo stand in their front yard in Somerset County, Pa. Behind them is the Acosta Deep Mine.

A Bother, A Brotherhood: Living Among The Mines In Coal Country

7:00am July 22, 2017

by Daniella Cheslow

When Mary Jo and Mike Picklo bought their house in 2003, they expected to retire in it — until a coal mine opened across the street. They don't want it there, but they are nearly alone in their view.

In Somerset County, Pa., coal was once the economic backbone. But as technology advanced, mines around the country began laying off workers, replacing them with machinery.

As Coal Jobs Fade, A Mining County Struggles To Redefine Itself

9:13am July 20, 2017

by Laura Roman

Somerset County in southwestern Pennsylvania is deep coal country. For years, it's been looking to remake itself. Wind energy and health care may be its future — if it can attract qualified workers.

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Jayme Orrack oversees Xcel Energy's new wind farm in Courtenay, N.D. The wind farm started generating electricity late last year with 100 turbines that collectively generate 200 megawatts of electricity.

The Rise Of Wind Energy Raises Questions About Its Reliability

4:31pm June 22, 2017

by Amy Sisk

As renewables make up a bigger share of the nation's energy grid, some worry about blackouts when the wind doesn't blow. But grid operators say they're getting better at balancing energy resources.

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The Colstrip Generating Station near Colstrip, Mont., is the second-largest coal-fired power plant in the West. Two of its four units are scheduled to close by 2022, if not sooner.

Town That Helped Power Northwest Feels Left Behind In Shift Away From Coal

8:01am June 10, 2017

by Nathan Rott

Colstrip, Mont., is home to the second-largest coal power plant in the West. The plant's customers in other states are turning away from coal, so locals are looking for support in making a transition.

FACT CHECK: Is President Trump Correct That Coal Mines Are Opening?

7:33pm June 02, 2017

by Reid Frazier

Locals in Jennerstown, Pa., are celebrating the grand opening of a coal mine and the estimated 70 jobs it brings. But the broad trends pushing the industry down are likely to continue, experts say.

A work crew for the Pittsburgh company Energy Independent Solutions installs solar panels at a community building in Millvale, Pa.

As Coal Jobs Decline, Solar Sector Shines

6:44am May 06, 2017

by Reid Frazier

The loss of jobs has stung as the coal industry has declined. Renewable power — especially solar — is now where the jobs are. Solar jobs outnumber those in coal, but coal jobs pay more.

Coal is piled up at the Gallatin Fossil Plant in Gallatin, Tenn.

Environmentalists, Coal Companies Rally Around Technology To Clean Up Coal

11:58am May 01, 2017

by Christopher Joyce

The industry has been in decline for years, partly because burning coal creates CO2 and warms the atmosphere. But there's a way to capture it — which has drawn praise from traditional enemies.

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Britain expects to go 24 hours without using coal to generate electricity Friday. It would be the first full day since the Industrial Revolution.

U.K. May Have 24 Hours Without Coal Power

5:50pm April 21, 2017

by Jason Slotkin

The country's National Grid announced Friday it was on its way to a full day without requiring its coal plants to produce power. Britain plans to eliminate the energy source by 2025.

Kevin Butt, Toyota's regional environmental sustainability director, at a facility that uses methane to generate clean electricity to help run Toyota's auto plant in central Kentucky.

Big Business Pushes Coal-Friendly Kentucky To Embrace Renewables

6:33pm April 17, 2017

by Jennifer Ludden

Nearly 90 percent of Kentucky's electricity is from coal — the cheap energy source that helped build its manufacturing economy. Now it's struggling to respond as more businesses want clean energy.

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