bucfan64 309 Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 Interesting .... Last week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a significant drop in power sector coal consumption. According to the report, coal-fired power plants are now generating just 36% of America’s electricity. Just one year ago, coal accounted for 44.6%. (more) http://www.theblaze.com/blog/2012/05/23/obamas-war-on-coal-hits-your-electric-bill/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhs7695 185 Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 It is wasn't for the export business for coal right now, the coal producing states would be in real trouble with the EPA's current restrictions they're imposing in addition to the regulations coming in 2015. At least some of them have Shale deposits they can fall back on a little for natural gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman 13 Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 Interesting .... Last week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a significant drop in power sector coal consumption. According to the report, coal-fired power plants are now generating just 36% of America’s electricity. Just one year ago, coal accounted for 44.6%. (more) http://www.theblaze.com/blog/2012/05/23/obamas-war-on-coal-hits-your-electric-bill/ Don't worry about it, when President Zero finally transitions the power grid to the green energy he's been harping about you'll have a windmill sticking out of your a$$ and power to burn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 (edited) Don't worry about it, when President Zero finally transitions the power grid to the green energy he's been harping about you'll have a windmill sticking out of your a$$ and power to burn. You do realize that the "green movement" includes natural gas as the primary energy store, right? You do realize that SWVA is sitting on the largest stores of natural gas in the lower 48 states? We could be the green energy capital of the U.S. if we weren't a population of ostriches. Edited May 23, 2012 by UVAObserver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaveFan09 50 Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 You do realize working with Natural Gas pays no more than $15 dollars an hour. You do realize that underground Coal Mining pays anywhere from $30-$40 dollars an hour. something to think about, you can easily make $100,000 a year working in the Coal Mines in time, Natural Gas..not so much.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasDenton 79 Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 You do realize working with Natural Gas pays no more than $15 dollars an hour. You do realize that underground Coal Mining pays anywhere from $30-$40 dollars an hour. something to think about, you can easily make $100,000 a year working in the Coal Mines in time, Natural Gas..not so much.. $15 an hour is still a heck of a lot more than most available jobs out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 $15 an hour is still a heck of a lot more than most available jobs out there. Damn straight, it is. $15/hour, 40 hour week, that's $600/week, that's $31,200/year gross. Only about $9,000 above the median in most SWVA counties. Sure beats service industries, eh? You do realize working with Natural Gas pays no more than $15 dollars an hour. You do realize that underground Coal Mining pays anywhere from $30-$40 dollars an hour. something to think about, you can easily make $100,000 a year working in the Coal Mines in time, Natural Gas..not so much.. So what you're telling me is that CONSOL (well, CNX, but we're spitting hairs) is going to be able to absorb some UMWA-inflated wages paid to the coal miners; not fill a few positions created by retiring miners; and be able to create FIVE new jobs in natural gas for every TWO miners that retire? What are we waiting for?! I think it's better for the local economy to have 5 people earning $40K/year than to have 2 people earning $100K/year. Not to mention, it gives three extra families hope. Just put a donkey on my lapel and call me a Demmycrat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1inStripes 933 Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 SWVA has lost quite a few natural gas jobs recently due to such low prices in the market. It needs to raise about $2 in order to make it profitable at this time. When it happens though, SWVA is sitting pretty in regards to the amount in our area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 (edited) SWVA has lost quite a few natural gas jobs recently due to such low prices in the market. It needs to raise about $2 in order to make it profitable at this time. When it happens though, SWVA is sitting pretty in regards to the amount in our area. Pretty spot on, really. I'd just add, there are some pretty dirty reasons why that rate's so artificially low. Let's just say, I wouldn't hand anything to AEP, lest they drop it... That's going to end, though. It'll take a few years, but when the day comes, you're going to see a nice little boon in this area. Some particular places in SWVA have positioned themselves to be sitting nice and pretty. Some you might not expect. Edited May 24, 2012 by UVAObserver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hhstigerfan 12 Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 Hell, I think we are just sucking the rest of the world dry before we start using our own supply of fossil fuels. Mr Plainview would be proud... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtiger 1,742 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 My personal problem with coal mining is that its future is gonna be nothing like its past; strip mining is the wave of the future and I feel that that type of operation is ok only on a limited basis. The larger issue is a strip mining doesent employ as many workers as an underground mine, the jobs arent gonna be there. The regions dependency on coal is comming to an end, best get on board w/ Natural Gas/Green energy. I personally dont have a problem w/ wind or hydro power either, I just would like to see the operations located in SWVA from the ground up. If its wind power great! but lets make the turbines somewhat locally, lets have the technicians be local, so on and so forth. Granted theres not alot of jobs there either but imo it would be a move in a positive direction. Im ok with killing coal mining(steam coal anyway, met coal isint going anywhere) as long as the jobs are replaced, which I think they can be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EH31 2,532 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 Has anyone else noticed the ridiculous amounts of gas wells showing up in mcdowell county? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtiger 1,742 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 (edited) its the same here in Dickenson Co and in parts of Wise Co. Theres a section of Wise county(maybe a 3 mile streach) near Coeburn, 5 years ago it had 2-3 wells now I bet it has 10. Edited May 25, 2012 by redtiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 My personal problem with coal mining is that its future is gonna be nothing like its past; strip mining is the wave of the future and I feel that that type of operation is ok only on a limited basis. The larger issue is a strip mining doesent employ as many workers as an underground mine, the jobs arent gonna be there. The regions dependency on coal is comming to an end, best get on board w/ Natural Gas/Green energy. I personally dont have a problem w/ wind or hydro power either, I just would like to see the operations located in SWVA from the ground up. If its wind power great! but lets make the turbines somewhat locally, lets have the technicians be local, so on and so forth. Granted theres not alot of jobs there either but imo it would be a move in a positive direction. Im ok with killing coal mining(steam coal anyway, met coal isint going anywhere) as long as the jobs are replaced, which I think they can be. I hadn't thought of the strip mining v. underground mining distinction, but it's a solid point. To the second point, I'd certainly prefer all the machinations of the green power be local, but I just don't think it's feasible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSocko 136 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 My personal problem with coal mining is that its future is gonna be nothing like its past; strip mining is the wave of the future and I feel that that type of operation is ok only on a limited basis. The larger issue is a strip mining doesent employ as many workers as an underground mine, the jobs arent gonna be there. The regions dependency on coal is comming to an end, best get on board w/ Natural Gas/Green energy. I personally dont have a problem w/ wind or hydro power either, I just would like to see the operations located in SWVA from the ground up. If its wind power great! but lets make the turbines somewhat locally, lets have the technicians be local, so on and so forth. Granted theres not alot of jobs there either but imo it would be a move in a positive direction. Im ok with killing coal mining(steam coal anyway, met coal isint going anywhere) as long as the jobs are replaced, which I think they can be. Guys, most strip jobs produce more met. coal than steam coal. I would imagine it is a 2-1 ratio. Steam is a dead market at $60 a ton but the met. is still at record highs. Strip jobs have increased over the last 20-25 years because the ability and feasibility to deep mine good met. seams has came and gone. The seams of coal that we have today that are not deep mined,auger etc. are few and far between. The average strip job has seams ranging from 18 inches to 30 inches. United,Teco, or Jewell or whomever you want to say are not going to "face-up" a deep mine knowing the seam is only in the 20's. A deep mine can't stay in business by breaking miner heads off, buying miner bits by the truck load etc. A strip job can access the coal at a more productive and cheaper rate. I'm not going to be "preachy" and say "coal keeps your computer on" but until SWVA has an alternative such as factories,increase in small business, or getting in the green market. it's hard to bite the hand that feeds the mouth. Just think if every large coal company,litlle mom and pop coal mines, and coal trucker in SWVA was put out of work on June 1. What would be the after effect? You would have one HELL of a mess in each and every coal and non coal producing county in a 350 mile radius. The little towns plastered across the region would be boarded up. The supplies that cime to these deep mines and strip jobs are not produced in the coal counties. Where do you think they come? The non- coal producing counties. Think about it do you vacation at Hungry Mother or Myrtle Beach? Holston lake or Pigeon Forge? Where is the money going to come to make this trips? You look at the big picture,it's more than regional it's multi state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtiger 1,742 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 (edited) Its definately an Applachian issue, from Pennsylvania to Georgia. My point is that coal IS the past and green IS the future, whether that change takes place over the next 5 years or over the next 40(before my generation retires the regions economy will not be able to depend on coal). Why not get a little ahead of the game? imo if SWVA and central Appalachia waits around the non-mountain parts of the states will get the production centers(think the way coal or timber work now). With all of the strip mined land locally(espicially Dickenson and Buchannon counties) and the comming of the Coalfields Expressway why shouldnt production centers be local?Complete production of green energy local to the source isint feasible but I dont see why as much of the production as possible cant be local, and I mean that for all of Appalachia. Espicially w/ wind power; assembly, instalation, maintance should all be local workers not crews brought in for other places(as was the case more or less w/ the power plant in St Paul) Edited May 26, 2012 by redtiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaveFan09 50 Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 as long as "green" energy pays plenty of "green" im all for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasDenton 79 Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 Its definately an Applachian issue, from Pennsylvania to Georgia. My point is that coal IS the past and green IS the future, whether that change takes place over the next 5 years or over the next 40(before my generation retires the regions economy will not be able to depend on coal). Why not get a little ahead of the game? imo if SWVA and central Appalachia waits around the non-mountain parts of the states will get the production centers(think the way coal or timber work now). With all of the strip mined land locally(espicially Dickenson and Buchannon counties) and the comming of the Coalfields Expressway why shouldnt production centers be local?Complete production of green energy local to the source isint feasible but I dont see why as much of the production as possible cant be local, and I mean that for all of Appalachia. Espicially w/ wind power; assembly, instalation, maintance should all be local workers not crews brought in for other places(as was the case more or less w/ the power plant in St Paul) About wind energy, I saw a news article not long back that mentioned some bad effects with those big windmills. Apparently, they were heating up the ground they were built on. I'm sure if this same thing is seen at other windmills, the nature nuts will be all over it and wind will be stalled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman 13 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 as long as "green" energy pays plenty of "green" im all for it. You're in for a real shock in the near future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 Has anyone else noticed the ridiculous amounts of gas wells showing up in mcdowell county? Good. We need more of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu_bean 1,058 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 About wind energy, I saw a news article not long back that mentioned some bad effects with those big windmills. Apparently, they were heating up the ground they were built on. I'm sure if this same thing is seen at other windmills, the nature nuts will be all over it and wind will be stalled. If it's not that then they will find something else. Just ask anyone in Tazewell-Bluefield area... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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