Coal mines are scaling back and shutting down — and jobs are disappearing.
Energy & Industry
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Why is an Estonian energy giant trying to revive failed Utah oil dreams?
There’s a new proposal to extract oil from shale, at great cost to the Colorado River Basin.
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How will Trump act on conservation and public lands?
Presidential campaigns offer a sneak peek into natural resource policies.
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Judge strikes down BLM fracking rule
Enviros hope for a successful appeal, but the path could be long and windy.
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New hydrocarbon estimates put western Colorado on edge
USGS now says the region has the nation’s second-largest reserves, but a flush market means little will change for now.
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It’s time to put a price on carbon
The United States should set a persuasive example for the rest of the world.
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Oregon oil train explosion fuels growing opposition movement
Some activists see the Pacific Northwest as a major new front in the climate fight.
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Trump’s contradictory promise: Bring back coal and boost natural gas
Experts say low natural gas prices are the biggest cause of coal’s downturn.
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Wyoming considers raising an already unique wind tax
Legislators say wind needs to pay its fair share, but critics fear a higher tax could drive energy—and revenue—away.
Posted inMay 30, 2016: Trial by Fire
Latest: EPA finalizes rules to reduce methane leakage
The rules target new oil and gas infrastructure.
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Mapping the large-scale loss of natural areas in the West
Urban sprawl, energy development, agriculture and forestry have an ever-larger footprint on the West.
Posted inMay 16, 2016: Grizzly Face-Off
What the U.S. can learn from European coal miners’ second act
Europe and the U.S. have taken different paths in response to climate concerns and coal declines.
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Protests against drilling on public lands are escalating
In Colorado, another showdown at a government auction for oil and gas leases.
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Why doesn’t the West report its lead data?
Lead poisoning in children is underreported nationwide, and the West’s lack of data is particularly glaring.
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Video: Coal industry downturn rocks a Colorado mountain town
Former miners watch an iconic silo crumble, and discuss what it means for their community.
Posted inMay 2, 2016: The Gold King Reckoning
Latest: Peer-reviewed study undermines fracking’s claims of safety
Researchers in Pavillion, Wyoming, traced the chemical footprint of the drilling.
Posted inMay 2, 2016: The Gold King Reckoning
Silverton’s Gold King reckoning
How the Animas River disaster forced Silverton to face its pollution problem — and its destiny.
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A millennial mayor and his timber town
This young local is trying to transform Aberdeen, Washington, into a city for his generation.
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New renewable energy projects may find opportunity in old transmission lines
A Montana wind energy project plans to make use of existing infrastructure built for coal.
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Coal downturn hits railroads hard
Federal transportation board rejected a proposed Montana railroad due to coal bankruptcies.