Big Coal Research
What is the extent of big coal's influence and impact?
Coal Mining in Navajo Nation (2017), Because of the promised to shut down of one of the largest coal-fired power plants in the southwest it could impact many current jobs for the Navajo. However despite this with the plant stopping siphoning so much water to operate it could bring many new jobs as the landscape is made more fertile once again.
"The 43-year-old generating station and its sister coal mine employ more than 700 people, many at salaries of more than $100,000 a year, a small fortune in the depressed economy of Northern Arizona." "Nearly 87 percent of this year’s Hopi general budget of $14.6 million is expected to come from coal-related royalties and fees.
Coal Mining in Navajo Nation (2017), Because of the promised to shut down of one of the largest coal-fired power plants in the southwest it could impact many current jobs for the Navajo. However despite this with the plant stopping siphoning so much water to operate it could bring many new jobs as the landscape is made more fertile once again.
"The 43-year-old generating station and its sister coal mine employ more than 700 people, many at salaries of more than $100,000 a year, a small fortune in the depressed economy of Northern Arizona." "Nearly 87 percent of this year’s Hopi general budget of $14.6 million is expected to come from coal-related royalties and fees.
SOURCES: NGS-KMC PROJECT, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, OPENSTREETMAP, NATURAL EARTH
According to Peters Adele (30 May 2018) “Peabody can afford to drill deep wells . . . the people can’t afford to drill deep wells,” says Nicole Horseherder, another Navajo activist.
This just shows how large companies like Peabody have enough money to take control of natural resources and deplete them. This comes back to impact smaller communities that do not have the resources to access the now depleted vital resources. The depletion of the aquifer in the area had dried up many of the natural springs. This impacts the growth of wild plants that are a part of the Navajo culture. There is also mention how the coal plant has emissions that equate to about 3 million cars. This has been shown to increase cancers and other health issues in the area.
The global Impact of Coal Power (19 Feb. 2019) "China and the US are the two largest producers of coal power, but power plants in India take the highest toll in the world when it comes to health. Central Europe, North America and China all have modern power plants, but Eastern Europe, Russia and India still have many older power plants equipped with insufficient flue gas treatment."
This just shows how large companies like Peabody have enough money to take control of natural resources and deplete them. This comes back to impact smaller communities that do not have the resources to access the now depleted vital resources. The depletion of the aquifer in the area had dried up many of the natural springs. This impacts the growth of wild plants that are a part of the Navajo culture. There is also mention how the coal plant has emissions that equate to about 3 million cars. This has been shown to increase cancers and other health issues in the area.
The global Impact of Coal Power (19 Feb. 2019) "China and the US are the two largest producers of coal power, but power plants in India take the highest toll in the world when it comes to health. Central Europe, North America and China all have modern power plants, but Eastern Europe, Russia and India still have many older power plants equipped with insufficient flue gas treatment."
What powershift is required for the grid to accept more renewables?
According to Peters Adele (30 May 2018), "[...]the Navajo Generating Station, was built in the 1970s to provide power to growing populations in Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada. A nearby coal mine supplies the power plant with coal."
As of 2014, it was predicted to close in 2044 but now it is predicted to close December of 2019 and Peabody's mine associated with the plant will be forced to follow. The plant's largest customer the Central Arizona Project calculated that it could have saved 38.5 million dollars if it had bought electricity from other sources.
“There’s all this propaganda that’s been created saying that the Navajo are going to be devastated, the Hopis are going to be devastated,” says Percy Deal, a local activist. “We’ve already been devastated.”
Percy at age 68 says that he has witnessed over the years how the coal mining industry has had a destructive impact on the land.
When the plant closes in 2019 it is said that the 500-megawatt transmission line will be inherited by the Navajo Nation. This will bring a much needed economic opportunity for the tribe that they never had before.
The current owners of the Navajo Coal plant the Salt River Project, now seeing the benefits of moving away from coal bought the new Kayenta Solar Farm. The solar farm is 27.3 megawatts of sun-tracking panels.
According to Peters Adele (30 May 2018), "[...]the Navajo Generating Station, was built in the 1970s to provide power to growing populations in Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada. A nearby coal mine supplies the power plant with coal."
As of 2014, it was predicted to close in 2044 but now it is predicted to close December of 2019 and Peabody's mine associated with the plant will be forced to follow. The plant's largest customer the Central Arizona Project calculated that it could have saved 38.5 million dollars if it had bought electricity from other sources.
“There’s all this propaganda that’s been created saying that the Navajo are going to be devastated, the Hopis are going to be devastated,” says Percy Deal, a local activist. “We’ve already been devastated.”
Percy at age 68 says that he has witnessed over the years how the coal mining industry has had a destructive impact on the land.
When the plant closes in 2019 it is said that the 500-megawatt transmission line will be inherited by the Navajo Nation. This will bring a much needed economic opportunity for the tribe that they never had before.
The current owners of the Navajo Coal plant the Salt River Project, now seeing the benefits of moving away from coal bought the new Kayenta Solar Farm. The solar farm is 27.3 megawatts of sun-tracking panels.
Coal Mining in Navajo Nation (2017), "The utility that operates the Navajo Generating Station announced at the start of 2017 that it would turn off the plant by December 2019."
How does employment play a factor in keeping coal?
According to the article "Why Coal is Still Strong in the Southwest" "For the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe, the plant provides both lease revenues as well as jobs and is an important part of the tribal economies. The mine itself employs 325 people, the majority of the Native Americans."
According to Peters Adele (30 May 2018), If there is more localized solar energy bringing accessible power to those who don't on the Navajo reservation. It could provide a vital resource necessary to bring jobs and industry to the reservation.
Sengupta Somin (24 Nov. 2018), "More than 4.3 million Chinese are employed in the country’s coal mines."
Why are we still clinging to coal?
According to the article "Why Coal is Still Strong in the Southwest"(11 Apr. 2017), "When President Donald Trump announced that he was repealing the Clean Power Plan, America’s coal industry heaved a sigh of relief." The president relaxed the Clean Power Plan first enacted by Barack Obama. also according to the study completed by Navigant a consultant commissioned by Peabody Energy over the course of the lifetime of the plant it has saved ratepayers 160 million dollars with its cheap energy.
Goodell, Jeff states in his book Big Coal (2007) "[...] provided by the US Department of energy, suggests that Wyoming has about 42 billion tons of minable coal left in the ground." Currently, about 40 percent of the coal burned in America about 400 million tons of coal is mined in the Powder River Basin. This coal comes from 15 large strip mines sprawling over 6,500 acres.
How does employment play a factor in keeping coal?
According to the article "Why Coal is Still Strong in the Southwest" "For the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe, the plant provides both lease revenues as well as jobs and is an important part of the tribal economies. The mine itself employs 325 people, the majority of the Native Americans."
According to Peters Adele (30 May 2018), If there is more localized solar energy bringing accessible power to those who don't on the Navajo reservation. It could provide a vital resource necessary to bring jobs and industry to the reservation.
Sengupta Somin (24 Nov. 2018), "More than 4.3 million Chinese are employed in the country’s coal mines."
Why are we still clinging to coal?
According to the article "Why Coal is Still Strong in the Southwest"(11 Apr. 2017), "When President Donald Trump announced that he was repealing the Clean Power Plan, America’s coal industry heaved a sigh of relief." The president relaxed the Clean Power Plan first enacted by Barack Obama. also according to the study completed by Navigant a consultant commissioned by Peabody Energy over the course of the lifetime of the plant it has saved ratepayers 160 million dollars with its cheap energy.
Goodell, Jeff states in his book Big Coal (2007) "[...] provided by the US Department of energy, suggests that Wyoming has about 42 billion tons of minable coal left in the ground." Currently, about 40 percent of the coal burned in America about 400 million tons of coal is mined in the Powder River Basin. This coal comes from 15 large strip mines sprawling over 6,500 acres.
Sengupta Somin (24 Nov. 2018), it states some crucial points about why coal still lingers. "Powerful companies, backed by powerful governments, often in the form of subsidies, are in a rush to grow their markets before it is too late. Banks still profit from it. Big national electricity grids were designed for it. Coal plants can be a surefire way for politicians to deliver cheap electricity — and retain their own power. In some countries, it has been a glistening source of graft." Asia contains half the world's population and has consumed ¾ of the coal power in the world. They also have 1200 coal power plants under construction the industry is strengthening not fading away. "China has added 40 percent of the world's coal capacity since 2002."
The article then goes into an example of how a Vietnamese woman remembers her family moving because the ash from a coal plant was so thick that it would cover the laundry set out to dry.
The global Impact of Coal Power (19 Feb. 2019), One of the main reasons why coal is still appealing is, even though the initial investment cost of a coal fired power plant is high the long term running cost is low. Not only is the long term running cost low but the short term financial return is high this makes for a more appealing investment from a financial numbers perspective. "Power plant operators thus have an economic interest in keeping their plants running for a long time." This quote from the article illustrates exactly how weaning our society off of coal will be a fight to the bitter end because owners of power plants and mines have a lot of monetary investment in the industry.
The article then goes into an example of how a Vietnamese woman remembers her family moving because the ash from a coal plant was so thick that it would cover the laundry set out to dry.
The global Impact of Coal Power (19 Feb. 2019), One of the main reasons why coal is still appealing is, even though the initial investment cost of a coal fired power plant is high the long term running cost is low. Not only is the long term running cost low but the short term financial return is high this makes for a more appealing investment from a financial numbers perspective. "Power plant operators thus have an economic interest in keeping their plants running for a long time." This quote from the article illustrates exactly how weaning our society off of coal will be a fight to the bitter end because owners of power plants and mines have a lot of monetary investment in the industry.
Bibliography
“Coal Mining in Navajo Nation: Are the Consequences Worth It?” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 2017, www.nbcnews.com/specials/navajo-coal.
Goodell, Jeff. Big Coal: the Dirty Secret behind America's Energy Future. Mariner Book, Houghton Mifflin Co, 2007.
Peters, Adele. “Solar Is Starting to Replace the Largest Coal Plant in the Western U.S.” Fast Company, Fast Company, 30 May 2018, www.fastcompany.com/40577931/solar-is-starting-to-replace-the-largest-coal-plant-in-the-western-u-s.
Sengupta, Somini. “The World Needs to Quit Coal. Why Is It So Hard?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Nov. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/11/24/climate/coal-global-warming.html.
“Why Coal Is Still Strong in the Southwest.” InsideSources, 11 Apr. 2017, www.insidesources.com/navajo-generation-station-shows-coal-strong-southwest/.
“The Global Impact of Coal Power.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 19 Feb. 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190219111718.htm.
Goodell, Jeff. Big Coal: the Dirty Secret behind America's Energy Future. Mariner Book, Houghton Mifflin Co, 2007.
Peters, Adele. “Solar Is Starting to Replace the Largest Coal Plant in the Western U.S.” Fast Company, Fast Company, 30 May 2018, www.fastcompany.com/40577931/solar-is-starting-to-replace-the-largest-coal-plant-in-the-western-u-s.
Sengupta, Somini. “The World Needs to Quit Coal. Why Is It So Hard?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Nov. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/11/24/climate/coal-global-warming.html.
“Why Coal Is Still Strong in the Southwest.” InsideSources, 11 Apr. 2017, www.insidesources.com/navajo-generation-station-shows-coal-strong-southwest/.
“The Global Impact of Coal Power.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 19 Feb. 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190219111718.htm.