Trump nominates FERC lawyer James Danly to fill 1 of 2 open seats
President Donald Trump nominated Federal Energy Regulatory Commission General Counsel James Danly on Sept. 30 to fill one of the two vacant seats at the agency. The move is a departure from a tradition established by previous administrations of pairing a Republican with a Democrat to ease the U.S. Senate confirmation process when FERC has two open seats. Past presidents have held to the practice in part because no single political party is allowed to control more than three seats on the five-member commission, which was designed to serve as an independent, quasi-judicial energy regulator.
US energy official focuses on uneven transition in places such as Kentucky
A rapid energy transition is providing unevenly distributed opportunities across the U.S., and one of the nation's top energy regulators is excited to bring a potentially tricky conversation back to his home state of Kentucky. FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee scheduled an Oct. 21 summit in Lexington, Ky., that will bring together key decision-makers to exchange ideas about the ongoing energy transition that is rattling a state with deep ties to the coal industry. The U.S. has seen its coal-fired power plant fleet go from fueling nearly half of the nation's power to holding just around a quarter of generation share in only a few years. The situation could get more complicated for Kentucky and other coal-dependent states as natural gas and renewable energy continue to eat up their former market share.
Interior objects to Blackjewel's proposed sale, citing unpaid debt to government
The U.S. Interior Department filed a limited objection to Blackjewel LLC's proposal to sell six of its Kentucky coal mines to Black Mountain Resources LLC, citing concerns about transferring the federal leases and liabilities. The DOI, along with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Office of Natural Resources Revenue, Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, filed the limited objection Oct. 1 with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Blackjewel requests court approval to sell 6 Ky. coal mines to Black Mountain
Blackjewel LLC is requesting approval from a federal bankruptcy court to sell six Kentucky coal mines and their related permits and assets to Black Mountain Resources LLC. Black Mountain was the only entity that made an offer to purchase these assets, according to a Sept. 27 filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. Blackjewel is requesting a private sale without a formal auction process, saying it would be "significantly less expensive and time-consuming" than a public sale, which would not likely include any extra value.
Nearly 70 protesters arrested at New England's largest coal-fired power plant
Nearly 70 protesters were arrested for trespassing at New England's largest coal-fired power plant, Granite Shore Power LLC's approximately 439-MW Merrimack facility in Bow, N.H. The Bow Police Department made the arrests for criminal trespass Sept. 28 when more than 120 anti-fossil-fuel activists wearing white hazmat suits and carrying buckets to haul away the plant's coal supplies marched on the coal- and oil-fired power plant to shut down the facility. The activists also demanded a halt to Liberty Utilities Co.'s proposed $340 million Granite Bridge project for a 16-inch-diameter, 30-mile natural gas pipeline and a 2-Bcf liquefied natural gas storage facility. Police said no injuries or property damages were reported.
Bankruptcy court approves Cambrian Coal's plan to sell off its assets
A federal bankruptcy court approved Cambrian Coal Corp.'s plan to sell off substantially all of its assets. In an order filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky on Sept. 25, a federal judge authorized the asset purchase agreements and sale transactions of Cambrian's operations.
MSHA did not conduct proper violation challenge conferences, US Labor concludes
The U.S. Department of Labor concluded that the agency tasked with ensuring miners' safety was not properly conducting its pre-assessment conferences, a step taken to allow mine operators to challenge a decision before proceeding to a more costly court proceeding. The Office of Inspector General wrote in a report published Sept. 25 that it had received several complaints about the U.S Mine Safety and Health Administration's conferencing program, including allegations that the entity did not consider evidence in conferences when making its decisions.
MSHA to reinstate 2017 workplace examination rules on metal, nonmetal mines
The Mine Safety and Health Administration is reinstating rules pertaining to standards for workplace examinations more than 2.5 years after they were first published. MSHA amended its standards for workplace examinations in metal and nonmetal mines under the Obama administration in 2017. That final rule required an examination of the workplace to be conducted at least once per shift before miners began working in the area, and for operators to tell miners if there were any conditions that might threaten their safety or health, according to a notice scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Sept. 30. Management was also required to record all conditions that could be detrimental to miners' well-being.
