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my opinion is that we have retooled american energy to natural gas; however, the majority of countries - especially developing and early industrial (even China) - are still dependent on coal making american coal a great export & trade commodity.
I had read elsewhere that, today, the Netherlands is a big importer of US coal (which is apparently shipped to other parts of Europe), while we also export coal to South America. However, said coal (if I recall rightly) is mainly from the vast coal fields in Montana and such (i.e., strip mining), with a small bit from the deep mines of the eastern seaboard.
Over the decades we have lost a lot of jobs due to technology and innovations. I see no reason why coal mining should be an exception, especially given the prevalence and plentitude of national gas. Someday, something will come along that will doom the natural gas industry. Nothing is forever, seemingly.
The coal jobs will come back once we burn through all of this "abundant" natural gas. Coal home-delivery jobs will come back too, since there will be no more natural gas for home heating.
Coal, just like making steel pipe and building cars that run on hydrocarbons, are yesterdays businesses. These are commodity businesses that are unlikely to show mainstream growth in America again. Those $60/hour jobs for people with minimal skills are not coming back.
Smart states have invested in solar, battery, wind, and water technologies to produce energy and are focused on vehicles which use similar fuel. Pipe and steel products are made in low cost production centers.
Despite The Donald's insistence that we can take America back to the 1960's (and pollute the hell out of our streams, air and ground), it simply is not going to happen. Demand patterns have changed, supply centers are different, and the biggest factor is that technology has made such programs of limited economic importance.
(By way of anecdotal evidence one of the major rail centers where Appalachian coal was transferred from trains coming out of the mountains to long distance trains which took it to various ports and places around America. The coal no longer flows, the companies mining it are bankrupt, and the rail yard is shut down and the tracks are ripped out and sold for scrap. The property is currently being evaluated for alternate industries. Its over, and no lame promises from The Donald are going to bring it back--unless of course he wants to subsidize it, subsidize the infrastructure to mine it again, and subsidize the labor associated with it).
We'll burn coal as long as anyone on this forum will live but sooner or later it will be done. As for new jobs. I'm not betting on it. Most coal is pulled from mines out west these days.
I watched a special with Sharyl Atkinsson, Full Measure on Fox, a few weeks ago. She interviewed a woman (I can't remember who she is now) who said the reason coal jobs are not coming back is because the energy companies have moved on with higher tech. It also costs too much to operate the old plants after they have been retrofitted. It was an interesting segment.
Coal, just like making steel pipe and building cars that run on hydrocarbons, are yesterdays businesses. These are commodity businesses that are unlikely to show mainstream growth in America again. Those $60/hour jobs for people with minimal skills are not coming back.
Smart states have invested in solar, battery, wind, and water technologies to produce energy and are focused on vehicles which use similar fuel. Pipe and steel products are made in low cost production centers.
Despite The Donald's insistence that we can take America back to the 1960's (and pollute the hell out of our streams, air and ground), it simply is not going to happen. Demand patterns have changed, supply centers are different, and the biggest factor is that technology has made such programs of limited economic importance.
(By way of anecdotal evidence one of the major rail centers where Appalachian coal was transferred from trains coming out of the mountains to long distance trains which took it to various ports and places around America. The coal no longer flows, the companies mining it are bankrupt, and the rail yard is shut down and the tracks are ripped out and sold for scrap. The property is currently being evaluated for alternate industries. Its over, and no lame promises from The Donald are going to bring it back--unless of course he wants to subsidize it, subsidize the infrastructure to mine it again, and subsidize the labor associated with it).
There's also been a dramatic wave of coal-fired power plants that have been put out of commission and China has idle coal mines that they can ramp up production with.
Plus, renewable energy is on the rise. Geothermal. Wind. Solar.
I've not read of anyone, even in the coal industry, who foresees an uptick in coal mining anytime soon.
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