Coal Power: Technology & Policy

Emissions Control Systems at Coal-Fired Power Plants, Rules that Require Them, and Marketable Byproducts. March 20, 2023. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Emissions Control Systems at Coal-Fired Power Plants, Rules that Require Them, and Marketable Byproducts

Plants That Make Coke from Coal for Steel and Smelting Plants Are One of the Worst Sources of Air Pollution. August 20, 2023. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Plants That Make Coke from Coal for Steel and Smelting Plants Are One of the Worst Sources of Air Pollution

Coal Use Is at Record Levels: What is the Future of Coal? Peak Coal Supply and Peak Global GHG Emissions Soon, Peak Coal Demand Soon Thereafter. December 19, 2023. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Coal Use Is at Record Levels: What is the Future of Coal? Peak Coal Supply and Peak Global GHG Emissions Soon, Peak Coal Demand Soon Thereafter

The Continued Prevalence of Black Lung Disease Among Coal Miners: A Preventable Tragedy and Yet Another Reason to Move Away from Coal: Silica Dust is the New Culprit. (July 2018, revised January 2024). January 14, 2024.  Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: The Continued Prevalence of Black Lung Disease Among Coal Miners: A Preventable Tragedy and Yet Another Reason to Move Away from Coal: Silica Dust is the New Culprit. (July 2018, revised January 2024)

Two New Interesting Carbon-Based Micro-Electronics Developments: Memristors from Coal Feedstock and the New Graphene Chip. January 23, 2024. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Two New Interesting Carbon-Based Micro-Electronics Developments: Memristors from Coal Feedstock and the New Graphene Chip

Extracting Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals from Coal Refuse Tailings, Coal Ash, Acid Mine Drainage, Fire Clays, and Tonsteins. February 3, 2024. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Extracting Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals from Coal Refuse Tailings, Coal Ash, Acid Mine Drainage, Fire Clays, and Tonsteins

Charts of the Week: 1) Global Coal Consumption by Region; 2) U.S. Population Growth in Hurricane-Prone Areas; 3) A History of U.S. Energy Use by Energy Source, and 4) A History of U.S. Renewable Energy Use by Source. July 3, 2024. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Charts of the Week: 1) Global Coal Consumption by Region; 2) U.S. Population Growth in Hurricane-Prone Areas; 3) A History of U.S. Energy Use by Energy Source, and 4) A History of U.S. Renewable Energy Use by Source

Coal Ash Slurry Pond Cleanup: EPA’s 2015 Rule Interpreted to Include Groundwater Contact Stands and Will Be Enforced, For Now. July 17, 2024. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Coal Ash Slurry Pond Cleanup: EPA’s 2015 Rule Interpreted to Include Groundwater Contact Stands and Will Be Enforced, For Now

Firepoint Energy’s Pennsylvania Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) Project to Convert Coal into Aviation Fuel, Extract Minerals, Including REEs, from Coal Waste, and Add Carbon Capture. July 21, 2024. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Firepoint Energy’s Pennsylvania Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) Project to Convert Coal into Aviation Fuel, Extract Minerals, Including REEs, from Coal Waste, and Add Carbon Capture

Southeastern Ohio’s Gavin Coal Plant Sale from Private Equity to Private Equity: What Will Be the Fate of the 50+ Year-Old Plant? October 17, 2024. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Southeastern Ohio’s Gavin Coal Plant Sale from Private Equity to Private Equity: What Will Be the Fate of the 50+ Year-Old Plant?

Coal Stockpiles Onsite at Power Plants Not Getting Used as Coal-Burning Continues to Decline. December 17, 2024. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Coal Stockpiles Onsite at Power Plants Not Getting Used as Coal-Burning Continues to Decline

American Resources Corp is Producing Mixed Rare Earth Oxides and By-Products Silicon Dioxide and Aluminum Oxide from Mine Waste in Wyoming County, West Virginia: Synergies with Lithium Extraction and Modular, Scalable, Co-Locatable REE Extraction. December 20, 2024. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: American Resources Corp is Producing Mixed Rare Earth Oxides and By-Products Silicon Dioxide and Aluminum Oxide from Mine Waste in Wyoming County, West Virginia: Synergies with Lithium Extraction and Modular, Scalable, Co-Locatable REE Extraction

Ukraine Offers to Upgrade Coal Units That Currently Run on Anthracite Coal in Moldova Breakaway Region Transnistria to Accept Ukrainian Coal: Ukraine Offers a Deal. January 28, 2025. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Ukraine Offers to Upgrade Coal Units That Currently Run on Anthracite Coal in Moldova Breakaway Region Transnistria to Accept Ukrainian Coal: Ukraine Offers a Deal

U.S. Coal Production, Consumption, and Exports Update. February 4, 2025. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: U.S. Coal Production, Consumption, and Exports Update

Coal-Fired Plant Retirements Have Slowed in Recent Years and Energy Sec Wright Says They Should Be Delayed to Retain Reliability: EIA and Other Forecasts. February 26, 2025. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Coal-Fired Plant Retirements Have Slowed in Recent Years and Energy Sec Wright Says They Should Be Delayed to Retain Reliability: EIA and Other Forecasts

Rollbacks on CCS Mandates for Power Plants are Warranted but Rollbacks on Coal Combustion Residuals Are Not a Good Idea. March 24, 2025. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Rollbacks on CCS Mandates for Power Plants are Warranted but Rollbacks on Coal Combustion Residuals Are Not a Good Idea

Mongolia’s Coal Pollution: A Lingering Health Problem That Needs Solutions: The Power of Siberia-2 Pipeline and Coal Seam Gas are Emerging as the Best Solutions. April 10, 2025. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Mongolia’s Coal Pollution: A Lingering Health Problem That Needs Solutions: The Power of Siberia-2 Pipeline and Coal Seam Gas are Emerging as the Best Solutions

Making Coal Great Again? More Mines and Less MSHA Inspectors Is Not a Good Plan. April 11, 2025. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Making Coal Great Again? More Mines and Less MSHA Inspectors Is Not a Good Plan

China’s $24 Billion Coal-to-Oil Project: 2nd Gen Direct Coal Liquefaction. April 26, 2025. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: China’s $24 Billion Coal-to-Oil Project: 2nd Gen Direct Coal Liquefaction

Trump’s Coal Revival Likely Doomed to Fail: Aside from Delaying Plant Retirements and Near-Term Cost Savings, the Rest is Not Desirable in the Long Term: Minerals Extraction from Coal Waste is One Promising Area. May 19, 2025. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Trump’s Coal Revival Likely Doomed to Fail: Aside from Delaying Plant Retirements and Near-Term Cost Savings, the Rest is Not Desirable in the Long Term: Minerals Extraction from Coal Waste is One Promising Area

Ramaco Resources Brook Mine Carbon Ore Rare Earth Project in Wyoming: First Rare Earth Mine in U.S. in 70 Years is Now Fully Permitted: It Will Also Mine Powder River Basin Coal. August 2, 2025. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Ramaco Resources Brook Mine Carbon Ore Rare Earth Project in Wyoming: First Rare Earth Mine in U.S. in 70 Years is Now Fully Permitted: It Will Also Mine Powder River Basin Coal

The Decline of Coal is Due to Market Forces, Not a Conspiracy by Asset Managers to Harm the Industry: Echoing Benji Backer’s Op-Ed in The Hill. August 16, 2025. Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: The Decline of Coal is Due to Market Forces, Not a Conspiracy by Asset Managers to Harm the Industry: Echoing Benji Backer’s Op-Ed in The Hill