Energy

Opponent to power rate increases organize Coalition

Kenny Colston — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:37:35 +0000

A coalition of western Kentucky businesses and residents has formed in hopes of minimizing the fallout of an electricity rates deal between Big Rivers Electric Co-Op and western Kentucky aluminum smelters. The coalition is worried the deal will lead to higher utility bills for residents and businesses.

KU warns Customers of Phone Bill Scam

The Gleaner — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:27:45 +0000

Kentucky Utilities Co. is alerting customers of a recent telephone scam asking customers to pay their bills over the phone. The caller claims to be a KU employee and asks for immediate bill payment by credit card or prepaid money card. If the targeted customer does not cooperate, the caller threatens to disconnect the person’s electric service. KU said it will never call and ask for credit or debit card numbers or other personal information. KU has more than a half-million customers across Kentucky. Read more...

Shutdown of Coal-fired Power Plant Considered

Charles Compton — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:55:34 +0000

FRANKFORT - The Kentucky Public Service Commission will hold a meeting today and teleconferences Wednesday to take public comments on the proposal by Kentucky Power Co. to purchase replacement electric-generating capacity in order to retire the Big Sandy generating facility near Louisa. Both the meeting and the teleconference will begin with a presentation by PSC staff on the regulatory processes governing the case and an overview of the Kentucky Power proposal.  Read more...

Natural Gas Price Hikes in Pikeville

Charles Compton — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:00:56 +0000

Natural gas rates are going up for 34-hundred customers in Floyd, Magoffin and Pike counties. The state Public Service Commission today okayed an immediate rate hike requested by Kentucky Frontier Gas. Kentucky Frontier Gas runs ten, small natural gas distribution systems. The increase is designed to create consistent pricing for natural gas throughout the system.

Analyst Explains the U.S. Annual Energy Outlook

Louisville Public Media — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:12:06 +0000

America’s energy mix in 2040 won’t be drastically different from what it is today: a little less coal and oil, a little more natural gas and renewable energy. That’s according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook. Paul Holtberg—the leader of the EIA’s Analysis Integration Team—was in Louisville last week to give a presentation to the local chapter of the U.S. Association for Energy Economics. Here are a few of the key takeaways from Holtberg’s presentation, and from the early release of the EIA’s annual report:

Energy Trends Discussed

Stu Johnson — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 20:13:32 +0000

The mix of energy sources used in Kentucky is expected to diversify over the next decade. Still, an expert on America’s oil and gas industry argues green energy has its limits. Bernard Weinstein with the Dallas-based Maguire Energy Institute told Lexington Rotarians these energy sources rely too heavily on government subsidies. “I’m in favor of everything, but I think all energy resources need to be put to the market test. My gripe with renewables, if you want to call it that, is that we’ve been subsidizing them for 20 years, and they’re still not able to stand on their own,” said Weinstein.

Electric Vehicles Rolling Out

Stu Johnson — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:55:56 +0000

Lexington has just added an electric car to its fleet. Also receiving electric vehicles are Louisville, several state agencies and the University of Louisville. Lexington administrative officer Tracy Thurman says the Chevy Volt is going to the parks department. “Parks is involved in so many public opportunities to showcase this vehicle and actually have it utilized across Fayette County and to get the exposure for electric vehicles and a greater understanding of how they work and how they could benefit our community,” said Thurman.

Kentucky Utilities to Pay Millions for Alleged Clean Air Act Violations

Erica Peterson and WFPL News — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 22:49:29 +0000

Kentucky Utilities will spend $57 million to install updated pollution control equipment and pay civil penalties under the terms of a proposed consent decree. The money will go to installing a sulfuric acid mist emission control system at the company’s Ghent power plant, replace a coal-fired boiler and pay $300,000 in fines to the Environmental Protection Agency.

TVA Settlement Funds Energy Efficiency Projects

Erica Peterson and WFPL News — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 16:04:12 +0000

Thirteen Kentucky organizations will receive grant funding next year under a settlement between the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. The TVA settlement money is meant to go to environmental mitigation projects in the TVA service area. Greg Guess is the director of Kentucky’s Division of Efficiency and Conservation. He says the energy savings that the grant money will facilitate are significant. A portion of the money will go to Fayette County Public Schools to track energy consumption on a real-time basis.

Regulators Approve Lower Rate Hike for KU

Chuck Stinnett and The Gleaner and Chuck Stinnett — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:39:19 +0000

State regulators on Thursday accepted a settlement that will allow Kentucky Utilities Co. to raise its electric rates. Under the settlement agreement, the average monthly bill for a typical KU residential customer will increase by $5.16 or 5.6 percent, according to the Kentucky Public Service Commission.

Energy Agency Predicts Coal's Short-Term Prospects are Bright Internationally

Erica Peterson and WFPL News — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:28:06 +0000

In the United States, recent data has shown that coal is losing ground, and is now neck in neck with natural gas in terms of the percentage of electricity generation the country gets from each fuel. Coal use is even diminishing in the southeast, a region that's typically relied on coal-fired power. But that's not indicative of what's happening worldwide, and new research shows coal could even surpass oil as the world's top energy source by 2017.

TVA Works to Meet Renewable Energy Goals

Robyn L. Minor and Bowling Green Daily News and Bowling Green Daily News — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 20:52:35 +0000

Tennessee Valley Authority is well on its way toward meeting its renewable energy production goals. The multistate energy provider is in the process of updating its Integrated Resource Plan, which is a guideline for energy production. TVA is idling some of its coal-fired plant capacity. But the overall goal is to create a balanced generation capacity, rather than just reducing coal use, according to Scott Brooks, a spokesman for TVA in Knoxville, Tenn.

First India Coal Shipment Still Delayed

Charles Compton — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 19:28:55 +0000

That deal to export Kentucky coal to India still hasn't been scheduled. The deal was announced in August—an agreement to send up to nine million tons of Appalachian coal to India every year for 25 years. The first shipment was supposed to leave the U.S. in September, but the company responsible for facilitating the transportation says it still hasn’t been scheduled.

UK Reports $2.4 Million in Energy Savings

Erica Peterson — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:18:27 +0000

The University of Kentucky recently spent $25 million in energy savings projects, and that work is already showing results. The Herald-Leader reports that costs have been cut by $2.4 million a year. $2.2 million of those savings will go toward the $25 million bond, while the remaining $200,000 will be set aside for future energy projects. And the projects have also reduced UK's carbon dioxide emissions by 23,291 tons a year.

Harlan Coal to Plead Guilty for Mine-Safety Violations

Bill Estep, Lexington Herald-Leader — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:50:06 +0000

A Harlan County coal company and two supervisors will plead guilty to charges that they willfully violated federal mine-safety laws. Attorneys for Manalapan Mining Co. and the employees filed court motions, including two on Monday, saying the three will plead guilty. The alleged illegal acts happened in the weeks before an employee at the mine, David Partin, 49, of Pineville, was killed when a large section of the mine wall fell on him.

2012 Expected to be a Record Year for Coal Exports

Erica Peterson, Kentucky Public Radio — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 16:59:14 +0000

Coal exports are expected to exceed record levels this year, according to the Energy Information Administration. By the end of the year, the country is expected to have exported 125-133 million tons of coal—which shatters the previous record of 113 million tons set in 1981. This is largely due to a very strong first six months of the year, and the EIA notes that since then, the global demand for American coal has been slightly waning.

Presidential Candidates Offer Differing Facts on Energy Production

Erica Peterson, Kentucky Public Radio — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:44:36 +0000

Much like the first presidential debate, there was no mention of climate change in the second match-up between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. But there was more talk about energy than during the first debate. And, predictably, there was lots of work to be done by fact-checkers in the day following.

Groups Sue to Stop Eastern Kentucky Surface Mine

Erica Peterson, Kentucky Public Radio — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:41:44 +0000

The Sierra Club and Kentuckians for the Commonwealth have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in hopes of blocking a surface mine permit in eastern Kentucky. Coal company Leeco, Inc. (a subsidiary of James River Coal) is seeking the permit for a valley fill at the Stacy Branch mine on the border of Knott and Knott counties. A valley fill is created during mountaintop removal mining--the mountain is partially removed to reach coal seams, and then the dirt and rock (or "overburden") is disposed of in valleys.

Coal Production Cuts Likely

Erica Peterson, Kentucky Public Radio — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:53:01 +0000

Rising natural gas prices could mean good news for the country's coal industry...but there are still likely cuts to come in Central Appalachia. That's the gist of an article from SNL Finanacial. Earlier this year, gas was at less than $3 per MMBtu, which some call the "sweet spot" for coal to gas switching. Any higher than $3, and it's not as cut and dry a decision to switch to natural gas. But now, gas futures for November are trading at slightly higher than that: at $3.459 per MMBtu.

Details Emerge About Possible Problems in India Coal Deal

Erica Peterson, Kentucky Public Radio — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 20:47:26 +0000

The Indian media has been all over the recent scandal over the country’s coal allotments—the system where the state’s resources are divvied up among companies. And the various articles are of obvious interest to Kentucky, where a private company recently inked a $7 billion deal to send up to 9 million tons of Appalachian coal to India every year for the next twenty-five years.

Decline in Coal Production Could Increase Employment

Erica Peterson, Kentucky Public Radio — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:47:30 +0000

An analysis out from the West Virginia Center and Policy --a nonpartisan think tank in Charleston--predicts that even while coal production in Central Appalachia declines, employment will rise. This may sound counterintuitive. But the analysis by Sean O'Leary says that could happen, due to falling productivity. In that case, it would take the same number of miners to mine less coal.

Anti-Mountaintop Removal Rally Draws Activists

Erica Peterson, Kentucky Public Radio — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 18:53:22 +0000

Environmental activists are gathering in Washington D.C. today for an anti-mountaintop removal rally. For the past few months, non-profit Earthjustice has been naming “Mountain Heroes” on its website—people who have dedicated themselves to fighting mountaintop removal and environmental destruction. Several Kentuckians are named, like Wendell Berry, Teri Blanton and Mickey McCoy and rock band My Morning Jacket. Others are from neighboring Appalachian states, like West Virginian Larry Gibson who died on Sunday from a heart attack.

Big Box Stores Lead U.S. Companies in Solar Power Usage

Erica Peterson, Kentucky Public Radio — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:40:17 +0000

According to a list released this morning , retail giant Walmart leads U.S. companies in solar power installations. Walmart has 144 solar systems installed in seven states; as the report notes, the combined capacity of Walmart and Costco (number two on the list) is greater than all the solar capacity deployed in the state of Florida.

Somerset Oil Refinery to Resume Production

Bill Estep, Lexington Herald-Leader — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 18:38:43 +0000

Production is set to resume this fall at a decades-old oil refinery in Somerset that was largely offline the past few years because of a management dispute and bankruptcy. Demetrios Haseotes, a New York entrepreneur with interests in convenience stores, truck stops and other businesses, bought the idled Somerset operation in December.

Sierra Club to Hold Rally Against Coal at UK

Erica Peterson, Kentucky Public Radio — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:22:43 +0000

The Sierra Club is planning a rally at noon today at the University of Kentucky to protest the ties between the school's athletic department and the coal industry. UK and the coal industry have a fairly close relationship--the men's basketball dorm is called the Wildcat Coal Lodge, after coal industry contributions, and there have been prominent coal advertisements during some athletic events.

MSHA Reports Success in Protecting Whistleblowers

Erica Peterson, Kentucky Public Radio — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 18:25:27 +0000

The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration is reporting increases in the number of miners who have filed discrimination complaints after reporting safety violations. Federal law protects miners who report unsafe working conditions to employers, or refuse to work until the problem is fixed. But Assistant Secretary of Labor Joe Main says that after the explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia two years ago, it was obvious many miners were afraid to exercise their rights.

India Coal Deal Bad News for Climate Change

Erica Peterson, Kentucky Public Radio — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 14:51:39 +0000

A recent deal to send millions of tons of Appalachian coal to India could bring billions of dollars to Kentucky coal producers over the next twenty-five years. But it’s not very good news for climate change. The deal will ship up to nine million tons of Appalachian coal to India for the next 25 years. This is a lot of coal—nine million tons is actually about equivalent to the amount of coal purchased by the state of Virginia in 2010.

Analyst Says India Contract Won't Save Appalachia

Erica Peterson, Kentucky Public Radio — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:07:41 +0000

Nine million tons of Appalachian coal will be heading to India this year, after a new deal was announced yesterday between several Kentucky coal producers and an Indian company. This is good news for the struggling Kentucky coal industry—but it may not be enough.

Kentucky and India Partner on Coal Deal

Chris Anderson, The Appalachian News-Express — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:50:35 +0000

A state official said Gov. Steve Beshear was set to announce a partnership on Wednesday which could reverberate throughout the coal industry in Kentucky. State Rep. W. Keith Hall told the News-Express on Tuesday that officials were expected to announce a coal mining partnership between a Kentucky group and the Indian government which could result in as much as 6 million tons of Kentucky coal being shipped to India each year. The partnership, Hall said, is expected to last as long as 25 years.

Coal vs. Girl Scouts in Owensboro

Erica Peterson, Kentucky Public Radio — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:47:49 +0000

The New York Times has a story up today about a contentious mine in Owensboro, Kentucky. The Daviess County Fiscal Court voted earlier this month to allow a surface mine proposed by Western Kentucky Minerals. The mine would abut a Girl Scout camp: Camp Pennyroyal. Now, the decision is being appealed. But in the meantime, it's pitting residents against each other.