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Western drought raises risk of power blackouts : NPR

Driving through the Wyoming sagebrush west of Cheyenne, the clouds of dust rising from the road give way to giant plumes of steam shooting into the warming sky.

This is the Jim Bridger power plant, one of the largest coal-fired power sources in the nation and an enormous emitter of carbon dioxide pollution. At the plant's edge there's a reservoir, lined with rocks and clumps of drying grass. The plant sucks up about 16 million barrels of water each day, using it to power more than million homes across six western states, all the way to Oregon.

But there's a problem that looms for the coal plant operator and the customers that rely on it for electricity. This water is piped here from the Green River, a tributary of the rapidly shrinking Colorado River. Now, amidst a decades-long drought and a shortage of water downstream across the Southwest, future conservation in the basin could mean industrial users like Jim Bridger see their water shut off, says Wyoming State Engineer Brandon Gebhart.

When Coal First Arrived, Americans Said ‘No Thanks’ | Innovation| Smithsonian Magazine

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When Coal First Arrived, Americans Said ‘No Thanks’ | Innovation| Smithsonian Magazine

Until the early 1800s, Americans burned very little coal. The country was thickly forested, and wood was cheap. Most houses had one or more wood fireplaces. The country didn’t have many factories that required serious energy, and coal was a niche fuel used, for example, by blacksmiths who needed high heat for their work. Report an ad

But as cities grew rapidly and demanded ever more fuel, choppers quickly deforested surrounding areas. Firewood became scarce and expensive. By 1744, Benjamin Franklin was bemoaning the plight of his fellow Philadelphians: “Wood, our common Fewel, which within these 100 Years might be had at every Man’s Door, must now be fetch’d near 100 Miles to some towns, and makes a very considerable Article in the Expence of Families,” he wrote. Johann David Schoepf, a German physician and botanist who traveled through America during and after the Revolutionary War, fretted that all this wood-burning would not “leave for [American] grandchildren a bit of wood over which to hang the tea-kettle.

Heating With Coal.

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I've always been interested in coal stoves. Coal heating is the most inexpensive heating fuel out there, especially in rural areas. They are very common in the Finger Lakes and Pennsylvania. The great thing is they are like wood stoves but don't constantly have to be perked up and be fed more wood like wood stoves. Anthracite is largely mined around Scranton, which is in part and explanation of the popularity of these stoves.

Terrain Map: Lows Lake
Map: Fawn Lake

In September, the United States was at its lowest coal stockpiles since 1978 – Today in Energy – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

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In September, the United States was at its lowest coal stockpiles since 1978 – Today in Energy – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Because of less coal consumption as well as coal capacity retirements over the past three years, the days of burn of U.S. coal remain within the typical range, even though total stocks are low. For bituminous coal plants, largely located in the eastern United States, the average number of days of burn was 88 days in September, a slight increase from the 86 days of burn recorded in August. The average number of days of burn for subbituminous units, most of which are in the western United States, was 82 days in September 2021.

Given the long-term trend of declining coal consumption, many U.S. mines have begun to close. Reduced production capacity and supply chain disruptions have created some concerns about the ability of coal-fired generators to replenish stockpiles to last through the winter (October–March).

Electric grid operators are closely monitoring coal inventories this winter. PJM, the grid operator for the largest electric system in the United States, instituted temporary changes to rules governing minimum inventory requirements to provide more flexibility for coal-fired generators, given low stockpiles at some plants and supply chain disruptions.