I wish the first graph had the y-axis in actual energy produced and not percentages. That distorts things quite a bit when the total amount of electricity generated in 1950 and 2010 are not the same.
Also, the graph seems to imply that we have no nuclear power plants. Where are they and why are they not shown on the graph?
US’ Largest Private Coal Miner To Layoff 80% Of Staff Due To “Obama’s Ongoing Destruction”
by Tyler Durden
Jul 2, 2016 4:45 PM
In the last five years, coal has gone from hero to zero. There was a time in the not so distant past that coal was the unquestioned all-star of the energy mix. Just over a decade ago, coal-fired power generated more than 50% of U.S. electricity. Coal is cheap and found almost everywhere, but it’s also extremely easy to scale with. If you need more power, just burn more coal. However, as VisualCapitalist’s Jeff Desjardins details, the decline of coal has been swift and unprecedented. That’s why it is expected that by 2020, only 22% of electricity will be generated from the fossil fuel.
The top four miners have lost over $44 billion in market capitalization from their recent peaks in 2011. That’s an astonishing 99.9% decrease in value, and possibly exemplifies the decline of coal better than anything else… except perhaps, as The Wall Street Journal reports, Murray Energy Corp., the largest privately held coal miner in the U.S., has warned that it may soon undertake one of the biggest layoffs in the sector during this time of low energy prices.
In a notice sent to workers this week, Murray said it could lay off as many as 4,400 employees, or about 80% of its workforce, because of weak coal markets. The company said it anticipates “massive workforce reductions in September.”
The law requires a 60-day waiting period before large layoffs occur.
In a statement, the company said the potential layoffs were “due to the ongoing destruction of the United States coal industry by President Barack Obama, and his supporters, and the increased utilization of natural gas to generate electricity.”
The move came just a day after the United Mine Workers of America said it would reject a proposed new labor deal with Murray. The existing contract expires at the end of this year.
“Hopefully the coal market will come to the point where [the layoffs are] not necessary,” he said. “it’s no secret the coal market is bad right now.”
Almost all of the biggest coal producers in the U.S. have declared bankruptcy in the past 18 months, including Peabody Energy Corp., Arch Coal Inc. and Alpha Natural Resources Inc.
“Frankly, I am frightened for you, my employees, and the survival of your jobs and family livelihoods,” Mr. Murray told the crowd while introducing Mr. Trump, according to a copy of his prepared remarks.
He added that electing “friends of coal” like Mr. Trump were the only hope the industry has.
Which seems appropriate given Hillary’s reaction the last time she spoke to a coal miner…
On the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton said with a smile “We’re going to put a lot of coal miners, and coal companies out of business.”
Bo Copely, a 39 year old father who recently lost his job, reminded Hillary as he fought back tears that not everyone lives in a world that’s rainbows and skittles. Sometimes people actually have to work for a living, and when politicians say and do things to generate a good laugh from their well-off inner circle, it can directly impact many hard working people.
“When you make comments like ‘we’re going to put a lot of coal miners out of jobs’ these are the kind of people that you’re affecting, this is my family. I just want to know how you can say you’re going to put a lot of coal miners out of jobs, and then come in here and tell us how you’re going to be our friend.”
Hillary’s response:
“I don’t know how to explain it”, and then blamed him for somehow taking her exact words out of context.
We can’t say we’re surprised by any of this, as just like the financial elites that run everything, political elites also have realities that are significantly disconnected from everyone else.
Brian Reilly
July 2, 2016 8:05 pm
Mr. Obama made it clear that coal and the people who produce it are not in his favor. He also made it clear and explicit that he planned to make and enforce policy that would cause the price of electricity to skyrocket. His words, not mine.
Lately we hear that a goal (not necessarily attribited to Mr. Obama) is to have50% of US electricity production filled by “renewable” sources by 2030 or so. “Can’t be done!” say the learned, we just don’t have the capacity. They look at it from only one side of the equation. We could get 50 % of our electrical generating capacity from renewables tomorrow, if we wished. Simply determine the amount of renewable electrical power generation now available, and close coal and NG plants until the remainder equals the renewable total. Oh, that would mean a huge decrease in power generation, but the people who seek these policies do not care. They are pretty sure they will have all the power they want anytime they want it. The rest of us? Not so much.
You don’t think it can happen? I hope you are right. Hope ain’t much of a plan, though….
susanna
July 3, 2016 9:55 am
While outlining his planned initiatives (if elected) O stated,
(three planned pogroms) he would destroy the coal industry,
ban wood stoves, and severely restrict the ability of MDs to
prescribe opiate analgesics. So far my wood stove conforms to
EPA standards. Good luck everybody…O has not restricted the
growth of fraud and waste in gov…that has increased.
CoalClinker
July 3, 2016 10:14 am
Folks, you ought to live in an area that (used to) have an economy based on the basic commodities.
I live near the CSX Russell Rail Yard, which is the largest single carrier yard in the whole western world. In fact, it was so big and deemed so important that the Soviet Union had a bomb aimed at it with its name written on it.
One used to see hundreds of various freight cars in it, some sitting, many being moved around, coming and going about every 15 minutes. Now, little is going on. There are very few freight cars down there, but one can see HUNDREDS of idled locomotives- the latest 6500 HP GE monsters that CSX used to haul about everything. What coal wasn’t boated down the big Sandy River was hauled by CSX and Norfolk Southern Trains. Not anymore!
Also, AK Ashland Steel Works has been idled since last December. It is on hot idle but everyone here is expecting the announcement that the fires will be blown out at the blast furnace. That mill has been in Ashland, Kentucky since 1869- for 147 years. It once had over 10,000 working there; before the hot shutdown it was down to about 600. It was so big and important that the Reds had another bomb with its name on it. The damned Chinese are dumping their shit steel in America and believe me, everything you buy is full of that rot. Before Obama was elected the U.S. was down to 28 blast furnaces, now it is 9.
Earlier this summer I spent about $1500 in parts to resuscitate my old work truck on what I call a 100,000 mile turnaround. I had to have the clutch replaced and about 85% of the suspension replaced, including brakes and shocks. I had the cooling system gone over, too. Wanna know how much was on parts made in the U.S.? Only $14 for rear brake shoe springs, everything else said “Made in China”. I’d say that EVERY part available plus the parts in ALL of the new cars are from China. Folks, if you are buying new cars and trucks you are buying cheap shit that will have basket ball size rust holes in it in about 6 years or sooner, and you’ll be cussing a myriad of electrical problems that you will be paying big bucks to have fixed.
I used to go to the local fleamarkets to buy old American-made stuff at low prices that was really worth more; antiques and collectables you know. I don’t buy much anymore; most of the shit they sell is that bargain bin, chinese shit that fell off the pallet stuff. They are absolutely dumping everything in the U.S. and you know it’s true when people are selling new in the box stuff at the flea markets.
You know, I told someone the other day that EVERYONE is soon going to eat shit and die. They told me that I was negative. I told them that I was positive- that I hope to live long enough to see everyone else eat shit and die before its my time for my fecal dose. They didn’t like my humor very much because they also knew I was being dead serious.
Anonymous
July 3, 2016 10:33 am
Some of this can be laid on Obama’s environmentalist agenda antipathy to coal, but an equally large or larger factor would be the development of modern “fracking” and drilling techniques that have made natural gas far cheaper and more abundant than coal as well as being easier to meet the regulatory standards for emissions.
A “Drill baby, drill” sort of thing, same thing that brought the price of crude oil to significantly lower prices and shook world markets.
durangodan
July 3, 2016 10:23 pm
Coal is the master resource for life in an electrified world. Using energy dense high quality pipeline transportable fuels like natural gas and oil to generate electricity is beyond stupid. Only government could be this moronic. This also appears to be part of the elitist strategy to make us live in a full blown monoculture. Monocultures are prone to catastrophic collapse. The culling approaches. Nothing else makes sense. I wish the fuckers really were just stupid. Something wicked this way comes. Bastards!
I wish the first graph had the y-axis in actual energy produced and not percentages. That distorts things quite a bit when the total amount of electricity generated in 1950 and 2010 are not the same.
Also, the graph seems to imply that we have no nuclear power plants. Where are they and why are they not shown on the graph?
The 4 energy generations in the 1st chart show % for each, totaling 79%. We can assume Nuclear is the remaining 21%?
Nuclear and Oil are missing.
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US’ Largest Private Coal Miner To Layoff 80% Of Staff Due To “Obama’s Ongoing Destruction”
by Tyler Durden
Jul 2, 2016 4:45 PM
In the last five years, coal has gone from hero to zero. There was a time in the not so distant past that coal was the unquestioned all-star of the energy mix. Just over a decade ago, coal-fired power generated more than 50% of U.S. electricity. Coal is cheap and found almost everywhere, but it’s also extremely easy to scale with. If you need more power, just burn more coal. However, as VisualCapitalist’s Jeff Desjardins details, the decline of coal has been swift and unprecedented. That’s why it is expected that by 2020, only 22% of electricity will be generated from the fossil fuel.
The top four miners have lost over $44 billion in market capitalization from their recent peaks in 2011. That’s an astonishing 99.9% decrease in value, and possibly exemplifies the decline of coal better than anything else… except perhaps, as The Wall Street Journal reports, Murray Energy Corp., the largest privately held coal miner in the U.S., has warned that it may soon undertake one of the biggest layoffs in the sector during this time of low energy prices.
In a notice sent to workers this week, Murray said it could lay off as many as 4,400 employees, or about 80% of its workforce, because of weak coal markets. The company said it anticipates “massive workforce reductions in September.”
The law requires a 60-day waiting period before large layoffs occur.
In a statement, the company said the potential layoffs were “due to the ongoing destruction of the United States coal industry by President Barack Obama, and his supporters, and the increased utilization of natural gas to generate electricity.”
The move came just a day after the United Mine Workers of America said it would reject a proposed new labor deal with Murray. The existing contract expires at the end of this year.
“Hopefully the coal market will come to the point where [the layoffs are] not necessary,” he said. “it’s no secret the coal market is bad right now.”
Almost all of the biggest coal producers in the U.S. have declared bankruptcy in the past 18 months, including Peabody Energy Corp., Arch Coal Inc. and Alpha Natural Resources Inc.
“Frankly, I am frightened for you, my employees, and the survival of your jobs and family livelihoods,” Mr. Murray told the crowd while introducing Mr. Trump, according to a copy of his prepared remarks.
He added that electing “friends of coal” like Mr. Trump were the only hope the industry has.
Which seems appropriate given Hillary’s reaction the last time she spoke to a coal miner…
On the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton said with a smile “We’re going to put a lot of coal miners, and coal companies out of business.”
Bo Copely, a 39 year old father who recently lost his job, reminded Hillary as he fought back tears that not everyone lives in a world that’s rainbows and skittles. Sometimes people actually have to work for a living, and when politicians say and do things to generate a good laugh from their well-off inner circle, it can directly impact many hard working people.
“When you make comments like ‘we’re going to put a lot of coal miners out of jobs’ these are the kind of people that you’re affecting, this is my family. I just want to know how you can say you’re going to put a lot of coal miners out of jobs, and then come in here and tell us how you’re going to be our friend.”
Hillary’s response:
“I don’t know how to explain it”, and then blamed him for somehow taking her exact words out of context.
We can’t say we’re surprised by any of this, as just like the financial elites that run everything, political elites also have realities that are significantly disconnected from everyone else.
Mr. Obama made it clear that coal and the people who produce it are not in his favor. He also made it clear and explicit that he planned to make and enforce policy that would cause the price of electricity to skyrocket. His words, not mine.
Lately we hear that a goal (not necessarily attribited to Mr. Obama) is to have50% of US electricity production filled by “renewable” sources by 2030 or so. “Can’t be done!” say the learned, we just don’t have the capacity. They look at it from only one side of the equation. We could get 50 % of our electrical generating capacity from renewables tomorrow, if we wished. Simply determine the amount of renewable electrical power generation now available, and close coal and NG plants until the remainder equals the renewable total. Oh, that would mean a huge decrease in power generation, but the people who seek these policies do not care. They are pretty sure they will have all the power they want anytime they want it. The rest of us? Not so much.
You don’t think it can happen? I hope you are right. Hope ain’t much of a plan, though….
While outlining his planned initiatives (if elected) O stated,
(three planned pogroms) he would destroy the coal industry,
ban wood stoves, and severely restrict the ability of MDs to
prescribe opiate analgesics. So far my wood stove conforms to
EPA standards. Good luck everybody…O has not restricted the
growth of fraud and waste in gov…that has increased.
Folks, you ought to live in an area that (used to) have an economy based on the basic commodities.
I live near the CSX Russell Rail Yard, which is the largest single carrier yard in the whole western world. In fact, it was so big and deemed so important that the Soviet Union had a bomb aimed at it with its name written on it.
One used to see hundreds of various freight cars in it, some sitting, many being moved around, coming and going about every 15 minutes. Now, little is going on. There are very few freight cars down there, but one can see HUNDREDS of idled locomotives- the latest 6500 HP GE monsters that CSX used to haul about everything. What coal wasn’t boated down the big Sandy River was hauled by CSX and Norfolk Southern Trains. Not anymore!
Also, AK Ashland Steel Works has been idled since last December. It is on hot idle but everyone here is expecting the announcement that the fires will be blown out at the blast furnace. That mill has been in Ashland, Kentucky since 1869- for 147 years. It once had over 10,000 working there; before the hot shutdown it was down to about 600. It was so big and important that the Reds had another bomb with its name on it. The damned Chinese are dumping their shit steel in America and believe me, everything you buy is full of that rot. Before Obama was elected the U.S. was down to 28 blast furnaces, now it is 9.
Earlier this summer I spent about $1500 in parts to resuscitate my old work truck on what I call a 100,000 mile turnaround. I had to have the clutch replaced and about 85% of the suspension replaced, including brakes and shocks. I had the cooling system gone over, too. Wanna know how much was on parts made in the U.S.? Only $14 for rear brake shoe springs, everything else said “Made in China”. I’d say that EVERY part available plus the parts in ALL of the new cars are from China. Folks, if you are buying new cars and trucks you are buying cheap shit that will have basket ball size rust holes in it in about 6 years or sooner, and you’ll be cussing a myriad of electrical problems that you will be paying big bucks to have fixed.
I used to go to the local fleamarkets to buy old American-made stuff at low prices that was really worth more; antiques and collectables you know. I don’t buy much anymore; most of the shit they sell is that bargain bin, chinese shit that fell off the pallet stuff. They are absolutely dumping everything in the U.S. and you know it’s true when people are selling new in the box stuff at the flea markets.
You know, I told someone the other day that EVERYONE is soon going to eat shit and die. They told me that I was negative. I told them that I was positive- that I hope to live long enough to see everyone else eat shit and die before its my time for my fecal dose. They didn’t like my humor very much because they also knew I was being dead serious.
Some of this can be laid on Obama’s environmentalist agenda antipathy to coal, but an equally large or larger factor would be the development of modern “fracking” and drilling techniques that have made natural gas far cheaper and more abundant than coal as well as being easier to meet the regulatory standards for emissions.
A “Drill baby, drill” sort of thing, same thing that brought the price of crude oil to significantly lower prices and shook world markets.
Coal is the master resource for life in an electrified world. Using energy dense high quality pipeline transportable fuels like natural gas and oil to generate electricity is beyond stupid. Only government could be this moronic. This also appears to be part of the elitist strategy to make us live in a full blown monoculture. Monocultures are prone to catastrophic collapse. The culling approaches. Nothing else makes sense. I wish the fuckers really were just stupid. Something wicked this way comes. Bastards!