Coal-Rich Wyoming Has High Hopes for Carbon-Capturing Technology

 

Wyoming is, by far, the largest coal producing area in the United States. In 2017, mining operations across the state dug out more than 316 million tons of coal.

The town of Gillette, in the northeastern part of Wyoming, has a long history of coal mining. But in July, about 600 mine workers lost their jobs when the owner of two local mines went out of business.

Workers were shocked when the mines - two of the country’s largest – closed halfway¹ through a workday with no warning.

Melissa Peterson Worden was one of those workers. “It is the thing they said would never happen,” she said about her job with the mining company Blackjewel. “And it happened.”

On the morning of July 1, Blackjewel sought bankruptcy² protection in court. But when the company failed to get emergency financing³ to keep operating, the mines closed down later that day. They have not re-opened since.

Blackjewel’s bankruptcy is one example of the changes taking place in the U.S. electric power industry. Over the past 10 years, more than half of the nation’s 530 coal-fired power stations have closed or announced plans to do so. That information comes from an environmental group, The Sierra Club.

The reduction⁴ in coal power plants came as cleaner and less costly⁵ power technologies continued to increase.

The coal industry’s problems have also affected⁶ other parts of the country, including Appalachia. Appalachia gets its name from the Appalachian Mountains. It is considered the center of America’s coal industry.

The economic downturn has affected Wyoming less than Appalachia. One reason for this is because coal is very easy to mine in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. In this area, huge pieces of coal sit just below the Earth’s surface.

Robert Godby is the director of the University of Wyoming’s Center for Energy Economics⁷ and Public Policy. He said companies with mines in the Powder River Basin were thought to be safe from a downturn because the businesses were so profitable⁸.

“But that’s changed in a few short years,” Godby said. “The tide has just turned so quickly that it’s caught a lot of people off guard.”

Some coal industry supporters blame former U.S. President Barack Obama for pushing environmental rules that led to the closing of plants that had operated for years.

But industry experts say the problems facing coal-fired plants today have more to do with the rise in popularity⁹ of natural gas over the past 10 years. They note that gas costs less than coal.

In addition, the cost of solar and wind power in the past few years has helped renewable energy further cut into coal’s market.

One hope for the miners¹⁰ in Gillette is a project looking at ways to capture¹¹ carbon dioxide produced by coal-fired power plants. Research has shown that rising levels of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere are one cause of higher temperatures.

Many experts think carbon capturing¹² could be an effective way to fight climate change. If the process proves successful, it could really help the coal industry.

The experimental¹³ project, called the Integrated¹⁴ Test Center, is being carried out at a power plant just outside Gillette. There, researchers can directly connect equipment to the plant’s exhaust¹⁵ to test different ways to capture carbon dioxide.

However, the technology is still being developed and not expected to be widely available to power companies for several years.

Next year, the test center will be one of two areas taking place in the $20 million Carbon XPRIZE. The other area is in Alberta, Canada. Teams from around the world will compete to find the best way to turn the plant’s carbon dioxide emissions¹⁶ into profitable products, such as building materials or chemicals.

Whether they win or lose, local officials in Gillette say they hope some of the teams competing for the prize will set up operations there.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

bankruptcy – n. when a company goes out of business because it does not have enough money to continue

tide – n. an increase in something that is developing

renewable – adj. any naturally occurring source of energy, such solar or wind

exhaust – n. waste gas

1 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

2 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

3 financing   

n.筹措资金

参考例句：

• The main source of our outside financing is bank loan. 我们向外筹措资金的主要渠道是银行贷款。
• They live in a symbiosis with governments that they are financing. 他们与他们服务的政府互利共存。

4 reduction   

n.减少，减低，减缩；减少，减低

参考例句：

• Reduction in income tax will be welcomed with open arms.减少所得税将受到热烈欢迎。
• You will have a reduction for cash.付现金可以打折扣。

5 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 economics   

n.经济学，经济情况

参考例句：

• He is studying economics,which subject is very important.他正在学习经济学，该学科是很重要的。
• One can't separate politics from economics.不能把政治与经济割裂开来。

8 profitable   

adj.有益的，能带来利益的，有利可图的

参考例句：

• That business became profitable last year.那项生意去年变得很赚钱。
• The convention business is very profitable for the hotel industry.承办会议业务能给旅馆业带来很高的利润。

9 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

10 miners   

矿工( miner的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The coal miners have come out for about two weeks. 煤矿工人已罢工约两周了。
• The roof of the cave dropped in on the miners, trapping them. 洞穴的顶部坍了下来，砸在矿工身上。

11 capture   

vt.捕获，俘获；占领，夺得；n.抓住，捕获

参考例句：

• The company is out to capture the European market.这家公司希望占据欧洲市场。
• With the capture of the escaped tiger,everyone felt relieved.逃出来的老虎被捕获后，大家都松了一口气。

12 capturing   

俘获( capture的现在分词 )； 夺取； 夺得； 引起（注意、想像、兴趣）

参考例句：

• Since when is capturing a felon considered interference? 从何时起抓住重案犯被认为是妨碍组员行动？
• Capturing the enemy-held towns is the pivot of our plans. 夺取敌人控制的城镇，是我们计画的轴心。

13 experimental   

adj.实验的，用作实验的，根据实验的

参考例句：

• This trip will be only experimental.这次旅行只是试验性的。
• The experimental farm is near the waterpower station.实验农场靠近水电站。

14 integrated   

a.整合的，完整的

参考例句：

• A fully integrated low phase noise LC voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is presented.介绍了一种全集成的LC压控振荡器(VCO)的设计。

15 exhaust   

vt.使衰竭，使筋疲力尽；用尽，耗尽，用完

参考例句：

• The climb will exhaust the boys.爬山会使那些男孩们疲惫不堪的。
• It will exhaust the nation's oil reserves.它会耗尽国家的石油储备。

16 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。