Coal Consumption Falling Fast

Louisa, Kentucky relied on coal to power not just its homes, but also to sustain its residents' livelihoods.  Today, though, Eric Lipton of the New York Times reports that many coal towns like Louisa may abandon coal in favor of natural gas.  The black, sooty rock has been the subject of costly new pollution laws and environmentalists' scorn, not to mention the surge in natural gas production (spurred on by fracking, a new and effective extraction method) that has drastically depressed gas prices.  Michael G. Morris, the Chairman of American Electric Power, is looking to switch production from coal to natural gas, and his decision does not appear to be isolated.  In 2008, coal consumption stood at well over 1,000 million short tons, but by 2013, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projects just 800 million short tons in consumption per year.  Additionally, while coal consisted of 53% of electricity generation by fuel in 1990, the projections for 2013 put that share at just 39%.

"Sand Rush" in Midwest Expected to Bring Jobs

A recent Wall Street Journal article discusses what it refers to as a "sand rush" in the Midwest due to an increase in demand for sand by U.S. oil and natural gas-producers.  The sedimentary material is a necessary component in the process of "fracking," in which sand is "injected deep underground to prop open fractures in shale formations and allow oil and gas to flow out."  The chart from the article shows the increase in demand for "fracking-sand" since 2008.  As the chart shows, demand has increased from roughly 6 million tons in 2008 to nearly 30 million tons in 2011.  According to the article, this increased demand is expected to bring more jobs to the Midwest, but there resistance from residents due to environmental concerns may play a role in the development of this industry.