"Political leaders don't have to do the hard work of building human capital and promoting sustainable economic growth -- they can just coast along, riding the benefits of the resource boom." The above quote was taken from a new article in Foreign Policy Magazine by David Rothkopk. The article, "Cursed with Plenty," looks at a…
Energy & Environment
The independent think tank Headwaters Economics has released a report on the best fiscal practices for states and local governments with oil and natural gas extraction. The report states, "Drilling for oil and natural gas is a high-impact economic activity that presents opportunities and challenges for state and local governments seeking to reconcile the benefits of job and…
As readers may know, we've talked a lot recently about the future of coal in West Virginia. Specifically, we've aimed at taking a data-driven and evidence-based approach to the issue instead of one focused primarily on unsubstantiated political posturing. The issue is just too important not to be taken seriously. Now, with the election over, …
While policymakers have been somewhat slow to confront the historical and future decline of coal in the state, coal mining executives seem to understand quite well the economic realities facing their industry. As Ken Ward reported last Friday, the CEO of Alpha Natural Resources, Kevin Crutchfield, noted he "expects the region's production of steam coal…
Washington Times -- The tumble for coal is not projected to stop, according to an economic report released in September by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. The report suggests that coal jobs are up for now, according to Executive Director Ted Boettner, but the long-term projections are not good. Read
The projected decline of Central Appalchian coal production is one of the biggest challenges facing the state in the near future. While there are many reasons for the decline, some are irreversible, as much of the easy to reach coal has been mined out. This has prompted a great deal of concern in the state, chiefly regarding the…
As Sean and I have both touched on, one of the central factors causing the decline in Central Appalachia coal production is the exhaustion of thicker, more easy to mine, coal seams. One way to gauge this trend is by looking at coal productivity. Coal productivity can be measured in two ways. The Energy Information…
Last month, using new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), Ted showed that West Virginia coal production is headed for a steep decline in the coming years, led by falling production in Central Appalachia. According to the EIA, "Appalachian coal production declines substantially from current levels, as coal produced from the extensively mined, higher cost reserves…
Today, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its annual energy outlook that Includes projections for regional coal production from 2009 to 2035. EIA is expecting a very steep decline in central Appalachian coal production and a slight increase in production in northern Appalachia. According to EIA, West Virginia is included in both central and…
Last week, Senator Jay Rockefeller gave an historic and courageous speech on the future of coal and the EPA (MACT) rule to limit contaminants and mercury emissions from coal fired power plants. Ken Ward analyzes the speech at Coal Tattoo so we don't have to. As the Center for American Progress (CAP) points out, this…