Past Entries

By Brooklyn Guillory, Argus Media Ltd.

Emerging markets

The US has developed into a crucial base supplier of coal to European, South American and Asian markets hungry for reliable and competitively priced tonnage. The shift differs from other recent export booms, when coking coal fueled the surge. Now, demand for US steam coal is jumping, even as new environmental rules make generators here look to alternative energy sources.

More and more South African coal is headed to Asia, raising prices for that supply and encouraging European generators to seek alternatives from Central Appalachia and the Illinois Basin. Meanwhile, US producers including Peabody Energy, [...]

Some Thoughts on Mining Tax Policy Today

By Steve Ralbovsky & Hallie Caywood, PricewaterhouseCoopers

There are two significant aspects to the current global mining tax policy debate:

The level of proposed or enacted increases in the taxes and royalties levied on mining companies; and How much data regarding mining taxes and royalties paid to governments should mining companies be required to disclose to the public?

 

These topics are interrelated since a discussion of “how much should be levied” is typically based on what is “fair” and, in order to be able to determine whether what the mining industry pays is “fair,” one should know all [...]

The COAL Hard Facts: ‘Old King Coal’ is Still King Can America get its fiscal house in order or could it fall into bankruptcy?

By Wayne T. Rutherford, Pike County (Kentucky) Judge/Executive

Editor’s note: In previous editions of American Coal magazine, we have sought your input as a means of promoting ACC publications as a community of readers. We value your input and comment and would love to hear from you as well. So with this issue, we’re introducing a Comment section that will feature articles submitted by our readers on issues that impact their daily lives. We felt it was important to print this [...]