Coal fired electric plants in the Western Interconnect (Basin, Powder River: suite, geothermal)

[jody_wy]

Originally Posted by PacoMartin

It's certainly in billions of tons, but 500 seems optimistic.

then there coal in Carbon, Sweetwater and Lincoln counties too

[jody_wy]

https://www.wsgs.wyo.gov/energy/coal.aspx

[PacoMartin]

Wyoming backs coal with $1.2M threat to sue other states By MEAD GRUVER May 2, 2021

Although it doesn't seem like much money, there is an attempt by the State government to sue other states that cause Wyoming plants to shut down.

The article states: PacifiCorp serves four states with renewable energy standards or goals — California, Oregon, Utah and Washington — and two that don’t: Idaho and Wyoming.

Idaho produces only 14% of it's electricity from wind and Solar, and obviously produces 50% from ConventionalHydroelectric. I was not aware that Idaho had no legislation that sets renewable energy standards.

Consumption for electricity generation coal United States annual
Year all sectors thousand tons
2020 436,076
2019 537,620
2018 636,213
2017 663,911
2016 677,371
2015 739,594
2014 853,634
2013 860,729
2012 825,734
2011 934,938
2010 979,684
2009 934,683
2008 1,042,335
2007 1,046,795
2006 1,030,556
2005 1,041,448
2004 1,020,523
2003 1,014,058
2002 987,583
2001 972,691

[DAXhound]

I wonder how the Chinese retaliation against Australia is affecting the coal business in Wyoming. The media seems mostly focused on electricity generation in the West. What about Gillette's only sister city, Yulin, China?

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by DAXhound

I wonder how the Chinese retaliation against Australia is affecting the coal business in Wyoming.

Wyoming coal companies’ main barrier to increasing exports from the Powder River Basin is their lack of capacity to load the coal onto ships. That’s it. There is no significant coal-export capacity or throughput at U.S. ports on the Pacific Coast, and the capacity at existing shipping terminals in British Columbia is not sufficient to enable large-scale coal exports to Asian markets. It is also far less cost effective to transport PRB coal to existing coal-export terminals in the U.S. Southeast and mid-Atlantic—such as Baltimore, Norfolk, New Orleans, Mobile, and Houston—for export to Asian markets.

[GoshWyo]

Originally Posted by PacoMartin

Wyoming coal companies’ main barrier to increasing exports from the Powder River Basin is their lack of capacity to load the coal onto ships. That’s it. There is no significant coal-export capacity or throughput at U.S. ports on the Pacific Coast, and the capacity at existing shipping terminals in British Columbia is not sufficient to enable large-scale coal exports to Asian markets. It is also far less cost effective to transport PRB coal to existing coal-export terminals in the U.S. Southeast and mid-Atlantic—such as Baltimore, Norfolk, New Orleans, Mobile, and Houston—for export to Asian markets.

Wonder if this could be part of the answer:

https://portoflewiston.com/

There is rail access into that port….

[jody_wy]

Originally Posted by GoshWyo

Wonder if this could be part of the answer:

https://portoflewiston.com/

There is rail access into that port….

it most the freight out of Lewiston , grain by barge ?

[PacoMartin]

A Wyoming developer wanted to build a pier in Washington State where Interstate 5 crosses into Oregon (roughly 50 miles from the Pacific Ocean). They would bring the coal by rail from Wyoming and Montana, load it there and sell it in Asia. Washington State denied the permit to build the pier on the basis that it would damage the environment. Wyoming tried to bring suit against Washington in the Supreme Court, but: Justices deny Wyoming, Montana coal suit against Washington By MEAD GRUVER June 28, 2021

[GoshWyo]

Originally Posted by jody_wy

it most the freight out of Lewiston , grain by barge ?

I’m not sure.

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by GoshWyo

Wonder if this could be part of the answer:There is rail access into that port….

They want to take out these four dams on the Snake river to allow grain barges easier access to the columbia river, but I don't think that means they can transport coal across the dams

These are the biggest hydroelectric plants in the state of Washington (% of hydroelectric power generated)

1. 26.58% Grand Coulee
2. 15.55% Chief Joseph
3. 7.73% Rocky Reach
4. 6.73% Wanapum
5. 6.27% Priest Rapids
6. 5.74% Wells
7. 4.68% Boundary
8. 3.28% Rock Island
   --------------------------------------------
   
9. 2.24% Lower Granite
10. 2.21% Little Goose
11. 2.15% Lower Monumental
12. 2.06% Ice Harbor

Originally Posted by GoshWyo

I’m not sure.

You can bring grain barges through locks by the dams, but it is too inefficient to ship coal that way. If they remove 4 dams, then grain barges would only have to use locks for 4 dams on the columbia river, not 8 dams.