Why does the media hate West Virginia

PWRLFT_EER

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Sep 3, 2007
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And you will certainly be called. Bill Raney, "The State of Coal", quotes coal production is down 22% since 2008. EPA regs make it near impossible to get a permit to mine coal competitively. There remains demand for coal to produce energy and production of steel - in foreign markets. Most coal currently mined is for export. Nat gas has been unable to produce more cheaply than coal, but are they profitable operations? EPA has not overregulated gas industry - yet. A lot of hell is being raised about the potential to pollute water sources, so it is coming when DC gets involved. Coal is still the cheapest form of energy per million BTU. Rainey says, "bedrock of nation's economy, the lowest cost, most dependable form of energy". It is becoming harder to continue because the politicians are pulling for alternative forms of energy. DC is where the coal industry problems can be rectified.

Bill Raney is the President of West Virginia Coal Association. He frequently writes interesting pieces on the coal industry in every day English that all can read and appreciate.
It's down a hell of a lot more than 22% since 2008, heck it's off more than that since last year.
 

TIREPUNK

Junior
Jan 27, 2007
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I'm LMFAO at this insane analysis.
If you don't think that the EPA would be much more favorable to coal if WV voted Democrat (Obama and Hillary) then I don' know what to tell ya.
It's down a hell of a lot more than 22% since 2008, heck it's off more than that since last year.
As someone who services the coal mine industry I can say that Obama has efectively killed coal....until they realize that wind is a joke, at this time, and that gas prices are good until Russia decides they are too good and dumps on the market (just like Saudia Arabia does with oil).
 

WVU86

Senior
May 29, 2001
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Great thread. Really love the discussion. Hey, why don't we bring up some other points? What are everyone's thoughts on
  • The best 80s hair bands

Was always partial to Whitesnake...
 

Finnius

Senior
Jun 10, 2007
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Don't bother quoting the Gazette on this topic. You can barely believe the obituaries in that rag. Ken Ward has been spreading anti-coal ******** since he learned to type.
 

WVU86

Senior
May 29, 2001
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As for coal, there are still at least 6-12 coal drags (100 car plus coal trains) through the Eastern Panhandle each day. Is all of that going to China?

30-40% of our power plants still burn coal. We don't make steel anymore. I guess the coal goes to China and comes back as steel.

And because the seams are thin is it cheaper to just strip mine it now?

I'm just asking. I've always lived in the part of the state where we grow apples. And there's not much of that anymore either.
 

ThatNehlenFeelin

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Jan 15, 2011
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As for coal, there are still at least 6-12 coal drags (100 car plus coal trains) through the Eastern Panhandle each day. Is all of that going to China?

30-40% of our power plants still burn coal. We don't make steel anymore. I guess the coal goes to China and comes back as steel.

And because the seams are thin is it cheaper to just strip mine it now?

I'm just asking. I've always lived in the part of the state where we grow apples. And there's not much of that anymore either.
Would explain why the Applemen don't win anymore
 

PWRLFT_EER

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If you don't think that the EPA would be much more favorable to coal if WV voted Democrat (Obama and Hillary) then I don' know what to tell ya.

As someone who services the coal mine industry I can say that Obama has efectively killed coal....until they realize that wind is a joke, at this time, and that gas prices are good until Russia decides they are too good and dumps on the market (just like Saudia Arabia does with oil).
Natural gas doesn't operate under a world price like crude, so what Russia does with natural gas production has little impact on price levels. Besides, Russia's oil and gas industries are in sorry shape and they wouldn't be able to ramp up production without investing a lot of money into exploration and development that they just don't have.
 

PWRLFT_EER

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Sep 3, 2007
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As for coal, there are still at least 6-12 coal drags (100 car plus coal trains) through the Eastern Panhandle each day. Is all of that going to China?

30-40% of our power plants still burn coal. We don't make steel anymore. I guess the coal goes to China and comes back as steel.

And because the seams are thin is it cheaper to just strip mine it now?

I'm just asking. I've always lived in the part of the state where we grow apples. And there's not much of that anymore either.
China doesn't buy hardly any coal from West Virginia. The main places those shipments from Baltimore and Norfolk are going now are the Netherlands, Ukraine, Brazil, India and Italy.
 

El~Scronko

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May 29, 2001
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China doesn't buy hardly any coal from West Virginia. The main places those shipments from Baltimore and Norfolk are going now are the Netherlands, Ukraine, Brazil, India and Italy.
my cousint bart drives truck for overnight an he says every other loads goin to taipei or saigon
 

mneilmont

Sophomore
Jan 23, 2008
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It's down a hell of a lot more than 22% since 2008, heck it's off more than that since last year.
Forgive the lapse in time - afternoon nap. I was responding to A1eer who said 20,000 employed in 2008 and 22,000 after Obama's first term. I used the first thing I found that showed Obama as being unfriendly to coal. It was the Bill Raney piece and I failed to date it. That comes from a Coal Facts piece in 2013.

1st Qtr 2012 @ 23,000 vs. 3rd Qtr 2015 @15,000 is closer to reality of one year ago. Some enlightening reading for those critical of the coal industry. And the hell of it is, public schools are being hit hardest. State will be tightening belts as we go. It hasn't been too long ago that we were reading of the damage coal has done to the state. Those individuals were putting in print that the loss of coal industry would not have a detrimental impact on the state. Shame we had to fall this far to prove how damned stupid you were. And the beauty of the media will have a Ken Ward piece in the Gazrag the harm coal is doing.
 

mneilmont

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Jan 23, 2008
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I salute Bill Raney for his ability to say this with a straight face.

I recommend the Energy Information Adminstration site for comprehensive monthly reports on all forms of energy. You can select "Sources & Uses" at the top of the page to find the source of all published statistcs.
I salute Bill Raney with a straight face. He takes figures from WV Govt records and I have no reason to question his writing or research. I certainly have no reason to question his integrity as you seem like you know something. He has no reason to report anything other than facts. His salary is not dependent on writing numbers greater than actual .

Why do you recommend your source over a local source? What verification do you have that you get better information than do I? I do not understand your logic if you would care to expand.
 

PWRLFT_EER

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Sep 3, 2007
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Forgive the lapse in time - afternoon nap. I was responding to A1eer who said 20,000 employed in 2008 and 22,000 after Obama's first term. I used the first thing I found that showed Obama as being unfriendly to coal. It was the Bill Raney piece and I failed to date it. That comes from a Coal Facts piece in 2013.

1st Qtr 2012 @ 23,000 vs. 3rd Qtr 2015 @15,000 is closer to reality of one year ago. Some enlightening reading for those critical of the coal industry. And the hell of it is, public schools are being hit hardest. State will be tightening belts as we go. It hasn't been too long ago that we were reading of the damage coal has done to the state. Those individuals were putting in print that the loss of coal industry would not have a detrimental impact on the state. Shame we had to fall this far to prove how damned stupid you were. And the beauty of the media will have a Ken Ward piece in the Gazrag the harm coal is doing.
It's around 12,000 as of Q2 2016, and production averaged a little less than 70 million tons annualized in the second quarter. Both numbers look like a mistake when you see them charted as time series.
 

My4dbronco

Redshirt
Feb 2, 2007
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I salute Bill Raney with a straight face. He takes figures from WV Govt records and I have no reason to question his writing or research. I certainly have no reason to question his integrity as you seem like you know something. He has no reason to report anything other than facts. His salary is not dependent on writing numbers greater than actual .

Why do you recommend your source over a local source? What verification do you have that you get better information than do I? I do not understand your logic if you would care to expand.
Sorry but to say that Raney has no incentive to use selective, skewed, or flat out wrong data is just you applying your bias to the situation. He has every incentive to make coal sound like the best thing out there. The fact is that coal mining is on the way out and most likely won't exist in 20 yrs if not sooner. Where will WV be? Do we continue to blame others or have some self responsibility to change our own fortune and future.
 

SacreBleu

Freshman
Jun 12, 2009
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Information_Administration
I salute Bill Raney with a straight face. He takes figures from WV Govt records and I have no reason to question his writing or research. I certainly have no reason to question his integrity as you seem like you know something. He has no reason to report anything other than facts. His salary is not dependent on writing numbers greater than actual .

Why do you recommend your source over a local source? What verification do you have that you get better information than do I? I do not understand your logic if you would care to expand.

I am taken aback by your polite and respectful response, given my sarcastic post. I'll try to respond in kind.

Bill Raney is the President of the trade association representing 90% of the coal operators in the state. It's literally his job to paint a rosy picture of WV coal.

The DOE formed the Energy Information Adminstration in 1977 and is, by law, a non-partisan organization. They produce voluminous statistics on coal, petroleum, natural gas, electric, renewables and nuclear energy.

Having said that...

It appears Mr. Raney may be correct. This chart indicates coal is currently $2.22 per million BTU. Natural gas is $3.13 per MMBTU. These are national averages. This chart shows $2.39 for WV. Maybe I should look at the actual statistics before I pop off next time...

Edit: From here

A fuel price comparison based on equivalent energy content ($/MMBtu) does not reflect differences in energy conversion efficiency (heat rate) among different types of generators. Gas-fired combined-cycle units tend to be more efficient than coal-fired steam units. The second tab shows coal and natural gas prices on an equivalent energy content and efficiency basis. For the seventeenth consecutive month, the price of natural gas at Henry Hub was below the price of Central Appalachian coal on a $/MWh basis.
 
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Eers_Do Work

Junior
Jan 3, 2007
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Anytime I read "liberal media" on here, first thing I think of...

 

PWRLFT_EER

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Information_Administration

I am taken aback by your polite and respectful response, given my sarcastic post. I'll try to respond in kind.

Bill Raney is the President of the trade association representing 90% of the coal operators in the state. It's literally his job to paint a rosy picture of WV coal.

The DOE formed the Energy Information Adminstration in 1977 and is, by law, a non-partisan organization. They produce voluminous statistics on coal, petroleum, natural gas, electric, renewables and nuclear energy.

Having said that...

It appears Mr. Raney may be correct. This chart indicates coal is currently $2.22 per million BTU. Natural gas is $3.13 per MMBTU. These are national averages. This chart shows $2.39 for WV. Maybe I should look at the actual statistics before I pop off next time...

Edit: From here

A fuel price comparison based on equivalent energy content ($/MMBtu) does not reflect differences in energy conversion efficiency (heat rate) among different types of generators. Gas-fired combined-cycle units tend to be more efficient than coal-fired steam units. The second tab shows coal and natural gas prices on an equivalent energy content and efficiency basis. For the seventeenth consecutive month, the price of natural gas at Henry Hub was below the price of Central Appalachian coal on a $/MWh basis.
Anytime the per Btu price ratio of natural gas to coal that utilities pay gets to 2 or lower, coal really starts to lose baseload generation share because combined cycle gas plants have become so efficient.
 

SacreBleu

Freshman
Jun 12, 2009
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Anytime the per Btu price ratio of natural gas to coal that utilities pay gets to 2 or lower, coal really starts to lose baseload generation share because combined cycle gas plants have become so efficient.

Where were you when I needed you?

So you are not only a Power Lifteer, but a Power Engineer?
 

Lydeck

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Jul 30, 2011
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I still can't figure out what the end game is on the "war on coal". Lmao what possible reason could the gov have to wage a "war on coal"?
 

El~Scronko

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May 29, 2001
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I still can't figure out what the end game is on the "war on coal". Lmao what possible reason could the gov have to wage a "war on coal"?
he gon give more jobs to legals . then the poor white folk gon be mowin lawns

and i dont mean manscapin cheap *** shane
 

OregonMountie

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May 29, 2001
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The EPA, like the CFPB, IRS etc is unregulated with no government oversite. Meaning they pretty much do what they want. The "war on coal" is just that. Hillary and Barrack Hussein said flat out "if you own a coal plant we will put you out of business". So enough with the EPA doesn't have an agenda bull.
This environmental and global warming agenda is so over the top. Start with googling how much money is made every year in the name of environmetalism. Through out the earths history it's climate has changed...drastically. Meaning for every stat for global warming there is a stat debunking it. The bleeding hearts have made this a liberal hot button. And like usual they are great at pointing out the problem but have not a clue about a solution. Boone/Logan county are dying folks. They had to pass a special school bond just so they could pay their teachers this year. And btw, there is such this as clean burning coal. The technology does exist.
Oh and I guess all the crazy *** weather the world has seen over the past five years is just a cycle? Sorry have to call BS on this...global warming is most definitely real. And yes I grew up in a coal family and still see a place for clean coal but things have to change.
 
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dave

Senior
May 29, 2001
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Oh and I guess all the crazy *** weather the world has seen over the past five years is just a cycle? Dirty have to call BS on this...global warming is most definitely real. And yes I grew up in a coal family and still see a place for clean coal but things have to change.
Is this a serious post? What crazy weather? If anything the weather has been pretty tame the last 5 years. Hurricanes are way down. Temps are steady. Facts suck.
 

ThatNehlenFeelin

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Is this a serious post? What crazy weather? If anything the weather has been pretty tame the last 5 years. Hurricanes are way down. Temps are steady. Facts suck.
That's what happens when one lives in a hippie/liberal utopia known as the West Coast... Brainwashed.
 

WVU enginEER

Senior
Mar 14, 2005
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As for coal, there are still at least 6-12 coal drags (100 car plus coal trains) through the Eastern Panhandle each day. Is all of that going to China?

30-40% of our power plants still burn coal. We don't make steel anymore. I guess the coal goes to China and comes back as steel.

And because the seams are thin is it cheaper to just strip mine it now?

I'm just asking. I've always lived in the part of the state where we grow apples. And there's not much of that anymore either.
EPA pesticide regs killed the orchard industry.
 

OregonMountie

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May 29, 2001
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Is this a serious post? What crazy weather? If anything the weather has been pretty tame the last 5 years. Hurricanes are way down. Temps are steady. Facts suck.
Dave come out of the cave big guy. What about the floods, snows, droughts, typhoons, should I go on. Hottest annual temps over the past 3 yrs, these are facts big guy. Extreme weather ever hear of it!!
 

OregonMountie

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That's what happens when one lives in a hippie/liberal utopia known as the West Coast... Brainwashed.
I guess living in Maryland and Kentucky for the last 6 yrs doesn't count then....I'll really mess w/ you and tell you I now live in the incredibly liberal basin of Hong Kong!
 

WVU86

Senior
May 29, 2001
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I guess living in Maryland and Kentucky for the last 6 yrs doesn't count then....I'll really mess w/ you and tell you I now live in the incredibly liberal basin of Hong Kong!

So how is air ollution and the environment there compared to the states?
 

jrobertson88

Redshirt
Jun 26, 2007
734
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I have learned:

- Bill Raney lied
- Bill Raney didn't lie
- Some people believe the weather is extreme. Some don't.
- Some people don't believe Obama and Hillary want to ruin coal even though they said they did and it's happening.

All on a pay WVU football board...just on page 3. Vernon - lock this up!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

dave

Senior
May 29, 2001
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Dave come out of the cave big guy. What about the floods, snows, droughts, typhoons, should I go on. Hottest annual temps over the past 3 yrs, these are facts big guy. Extreme weather ever hear of it!!
Look at the facts. You could not be more wrong. Just saying something does not make it true. Perhaps you should stop watching the weather channel. Just because the weather has been sensationalized like never before doesnt mean it is worse.
 

OregonMountie

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Look at the facts. You could not be more wrong. Just saying something does not make it true. Perhaps you should stop watching the weather channel. Just because the weather has been sensationalized like never before doesnt mean it is worse.
Apparently my facts are not good in your world , seems several thousand world scientist and weather experts would disagree with you, but then I guess they are all wrong as well.
 

dave

Senior
May 29, 2001
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Apparently my facts are not good in your world , seems several thousand world scientist and weather experts would disagree with you, but then I guess they are all wrong as well.
This is hilarious. You can act as smug and be as big a dick as you want it doesnt change the truth. Thousands of scientists and experts? Why stop at only thousands wouldnt bazillionjillions sound more emphatic?
 

OregonMountie

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This is hilarious. You can act as smug and be as big a dick as you want it doesnt change the truth. Thousands of scientists and experts? Why stop at only thousands wouldnt bazillionjillions sound more emphatic?
I am so glad to be able to an intelligent conversation with you, when someone doesn't agree w/ you all of a sudden we are the dicks!! How does the mirror look. Will send you links to my facts when I am back in the office next Monday, maybe this will help open your eyes.
 

dave

Senior
May 29, 2001
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I am so glad to be able to an intelligent conversation with you, when someone doesn't agree w/ you all of a sudden we are the dicks!! How does the mirror look. Will send you links to my facts when I am back in the office next Monday, maybe this will help open your eyes.
Disagreeing is not what makes you a dick. Acting like a dick did the truck. If you want to have an intelligent conversation with anyone you might want to realize that droughts, floods and typhoons are not some new phenomena and three years of data is laughable. Now I will go back into my cave and out of your disrespectful presence.