From the President’s Desk: Rich Nolan’s Blog

As the U.S. energy policy landscape continues to shift, a crucial dialogue on electricity stability is gaining momentum. Many are waking up to the reality that this administration is recklessly rushing to close well-operating coal plants in favor of renewable energy sources that have not been permitted... Read More

The regulatory onslaught against the reliable sources of power that support the U.S. electricity grid continues to advance. The Clean Power Plan 2.0 (CPP 2.0) is part of the Biden administration’s multi-pronged plan to shutter well-operating fossil fuel power plants well before there is anything in... Read More

“Coal” might bring to mind power plants and electricity generation but metallurgical coal, often referred to as met coal, has bolstered our nation’s infrastructure and economic strength for decades and is helping build the cities and infrastructure of tomorrow. As an indispensable ingredient in steel... Read More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may continue to pretend there is no grid reliability crisis, but the debate is over. One alarming reliability assessment and warning have now been followed by three Congressional hearings in just the last month that have made it abundantly clear that dispatchable... Read More

The last several years have seen energy crises across Europe, grid warnings in the U.S., and soaring electricity prices everywhere. Here at home, grid operators and regulators have warned for years about their concerns over the pace of our energy transition and what it means for the ability to deliver... Read More

Your friend. Your neighbor. Maybe even your spouse. Everyone in this country knows someone who works in a mining-supported industry. And that's because, simply put, mining is the backbone of the American economy.  The mining industry provides hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs. Companies... Read More

Mining was in the forefront of just about every policy discussion in 2022. To those in our industry, this doesn’t come as a surprise. The cornerstone of our economy, domestic mining secures supply chains, enhances national security, enables the technologies of the future, and keeps the lights on in our... Read More

  As we watch the international community stumble through the energy transition, we’re witnessing missteps at just about every turn. The war in Ukraine has allowed Putin to weaponize energy, upending energy markets and threatening fuel shortages across Europe. A growing list of affected countries... Read More

As countries deal with the effects of the energy crisis in Europe due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, skyrocketing natural gas prices and supply issues, they need affordable, reliable coal to meet their energy demands. Across Europe, allies are reopening shuttered coal plants or abandoning plans to... Read More

Refrigerated medicine spoiling. Manufacturing facilities shutting down. Financial transactions coming to a halt. A lack of air conditioning that pushes indoor temperatures to punishing levels. When we hear the term “blackout” we think of a period without lights. But the ramifications of no electricity... Read More

The delicate nature of global supply chains was something many of us took for granted before the COVID-19 pandemic. Two years later, we now have a clear picture of just how precarious our extensive reliance on over-extended supply chains has become. It’s time to address this vulnerability head on by... Read More

As our power grid changes to rely more heavily on intermittent power and just-in-time fuel delivery, many lawmakers are thinking quixotically about our energy mix. But when people’s lives are at stake and the affordability of our power supply hangs in the balance, we can’t think in ideals. We must think... Read More

The experiences enjoyed and memories made from Thanksgiving through New Years are why we call it the “most wonderful time of the year.” While it’s people that drive this spirit of togetherness, we rely on a variety of technologies for our most treasured traditions. From traveling to see loved ones and... Read More

The United States is vulnerable to an energy crisis if we don’t carefully manage the energy transition. Europe’s own historic, self-inflicted crisis serves as a warning to what could happen if U.S. decisionmakers follow Europe’s lead by focusing too heavily on the grid of the future, neglecting the energy... Read More

Fuel diversity, among its many benefits, provides options and flexibility—two things U.S. policymakers and regulators will need to navigate the energy transition. A balanced electricity mix has long underpinned the affordability of the grid and it will remain critical to ensuring both affordability and... Read More

Cyberattacks are of increasing concern, with cyber criminals and state actors carefully selecting vulnerable targets to maximize disruption. Increasingly, these hacking events target physical infrastructure, aiming to cut access to U.S. energy sources and utilities. There’s no doubt that attacks on energy... Read More

The U.S. is considering the biggest infrastructure investment since the construction of the Eisenhower interstate highway system. To modernize the buildings, transportation and energy systems proposed in President Biden’s $2.3 trillion plan we will need vast amounts of steel. Manufacturing that steel... Read More