Coal's comeback comes with concerns, potential


NFPA 70E Training

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 6 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$199
Coupon Price:
$149
Reserve Your Seat Today
Coal and East Tennessee are inextricably linked.

Though never the bedrock of the region as it is in parts of Kentucky and West Virginia, coal has caused fortunes to be made and lost, livelihoods to be earned and shattered.

It's a boom or bust industry, a hard scrabble living.

"There's nothing romantic about the coal business, although country music singers try to blow it up. It's a tough business," the late Gordon Bonnyman told me some 15 years ago, when he was serving as chairman of Blue Diamond Coal Co.

The business hasn't gotten any easier.

As News Sentinel business editor Bill Brewer points out, coal prices are again rising and mining activity is increasing. The current upswing stems from increased worldwide demand, particularly from fast-developing countries such as China and India.

Price increases, however, are offset by increased costs in fuel and equipment, as well as increasingly tougher environmental regulations. It's a situation that leaves the few remaining players still struggling to make money.

Little coal mined in East Tennessee stays in the region - TVA currently burns primarily a lower-sulfur variety - but it remains an important domestic fuel source for electricity. Concerns about its environmental effects, and particularly the economic impact of those effects, are very real, too - from the ozone-depleting emissions created from burning coal to the scars to the scenery left from mining it.

Balancing those concerns won't be easy, and never has been. As the push continues to find cost-effective means to power the country, a seat at the table needs to be reserved for coal.

Related News

Ukraine Prepares for Winter Amid Energy Challenges

Ukraine Winter Energy Resilience focuses on energy security, grid repairs, renewable power, EU support, heating…
View more

Europe's Worst Energy Nightmare Is Becoming Reality

European Energy Crisis shocks markets as Russia slashes gas via Nord Stream, spiking prices and…
View more

UAE’s nuclear power plant connects to the national grid in a major regional milestone

UAE Barakah Nuclear Plant connects Unit 1 to the grid, supplying clean electricity, nuclear baseload…
View more

Hydro-Quebec won't ask for rate hike next year

Hydro-Quebec Rate Freeze maintains current electricity rates, aligned with Bill 34, inflation indexing, and energy…
View more

More Polar Vortex 2021 Fallout (and Texas Two-Step): Monitor For ERCOT Identifies Improper Payments For Ancillary Services

ERCOT Ancillary Services Clawback and VOLL Pricing summarize PUCT and IMM actions on load shed,…
View more

European responses to Covid-19 accelerate electricity system transition by a decade - Wartsila

EU-UK Coal Power Decline 2020 underscores Covid-19's impact on power generation, with renewables rising, carbon…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Download the 2026 Electrical Training Catalog

Explore 50+ live, expert-led electrical training courses –

  • Interactive
  • Flexible
  • CEU-cerified