One of the country's top coal-burning utilities is asking its suppliers to submit price estimates for coal mined by mountaintop removal and coal not mined through the controversial process. The request, from North Carolina-based Duke Energy, "comes amid growing pressure from lawmakers and environmentalists to stop the practice of removing the earth above coal seams," Bruce Henderson of the Charlotte Observer reports. "The practice is cheaper and safer than underground mining, but can level mountain peaks while filling valleys with debris."
"Duke is under state mandates to provide the cheapest possible electricity," Henderson writes. Duke spokesman Dave Scanzoni told Henderson the data will help Duke determine financial impacts that may be reviewed by regulators. Duke spends about $3 billion per year on coal to burn in power plants in the Carolinas, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana, Henderson reports. Duke released its annual environmental report in April, which said "Our goal, as always, is to strike the right balance between economic, environmental and social considerations." (Read more)
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