Environmental Matters in the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Did you know that the University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research prepared a July 2007 report on the viability of coal gasification in Kentucky?  The report looks at converting Kentucky coal to fuel and other products in Kentucky coal gasification plants to replace imported oil products. 
According to the report, the point at which […]

• Read Full Entry

Have you heard about the Russian scientific theory that oil is not a fossil fuel and the supply of oil is not exhaustible?  There are some Russian and American scientists that contend that oil is primordial—that it dates back to Earth’s origin— made through an inorganic process due to heat and pressure.  Under this abiotic […]

• Read Full Entry

Central Appalachian coal remains at $117.60 per ton for the week ending June 27, 2008 according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, the official source of government energy statistics.

• Read Full Entry

FutureGen is a public-private partnership to design, build, and operate the world’s first coal-fueled, near-zero emissions power plant, at an estimated net project cost of US $1.5 billion. The commercial-scale plant will prove the technical and economic feasibility of producing low-cost electricity and hydrogen from coal while nearly eliminating emissions. It will also support testing […]

• Read Full Entry

CIBC World Markets’ economics team just published a new energy report predicts $200-a-barrel oil in as short a time as two years. If that happens, gas would likely go up to $7 a gallon - and that would have an huge impact on the way Americans live.  For example, $7 per gallon gasoline would make owning […]

• Read Full Entry

James River Coal Company entered into a definitive Asset Purchase Agreement pursuant to which it will acquire certain coal reserves and permits from Cheyenne Resources, Inc.  The transaction includes approximately 10.2 million tons of proven and probable surface reserves and 3.6 million tons of proven and probable underground reserves, plus additional surface resources. Permits necessary […]

• Read Full Entry

On March 15, 2005, U.S. EPA issued a first-ever federal rule to cap and reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired utility plants.  In bizarre fashion, however, EPA committed two patent errors in promulgating its new rule for mercury emissions.  First, EPA attempted to exempt coal- and oil-fired utility plants from § 112 of the Clean Air […]

• Read Full Entry

On June 27th, light, sweet crude oil for August delivery rose as high as $142.93 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) before falling to $142.28 at 2:36 pm EDT.  Yesterday, the contract price shot past $140.  Light, sweet crudes are preferred by refiners because of their low sulfur content and relatively high […]

• Read Full Entry

Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd. and IBM are collaborating to jointly develop CIGS (Copper-Indium-Gallium-Selenide) solar cell modules.  This effort may bring down the cost of solar energy cells through the use of thin film technology, such as CIGS.  The joint effort between the two companies comes at a time when the solar-energy industry is in […]

• Read Full Entry

Hawaii is first state to require solar water heaters in new homes.  On June 26, Hawaiian Governor Linda Lingle signed a bill into law requiring the energy-saving systems in homes starting in 2010.  The new law prohibits issuing building permits for single-family homes that do not have solar water heaters. Some exceptions will be allowed, […]

• Read Full Entry