Tug Valley Mining Institute

05/11/2026

TVMI Meeting Announcement

Dinner Meeting: May 21 (5:30-6 Social Time, Dinner @ 6)

Scheduled Guest Speaker: Evan Jenkins, Ramaco Vice Chairman

Sponsor: Natural Resources/SGS North America

Meeting Location: Logan Country Club – Chapmanville, WV

PLEASE RSVP by Monday, 5/18/26: Georgene ([email protected]) 304/792-8433

No dinner charge for individuals, but we do need a good headcount for dinner preparation. We will be selling door prize tickets to raise money for our scholarship fund.


2026 Remaining TVMI Schedule


September 24, 2026
Logan Country Club, Chapmanville, WV
Speaker –– Mike Day, Eagle Summit Resources
Sponsor – HRJACKSONLAW

October 15, 2026
Logan Country Club, Chapmanville, WV
Speaker –– Don Blankenship
Sponsor – Komatsu

05/02/2026

Coal-fired power plants run on a constant flow of fuel, and the numbers behind it are easy to underestimate.

A large baseload unit typically burns around 5.5 tons of coal every minute just to keep steam moving through the system. That’s about 330 tons per hour, or nearly 8,000 tons in a single day.

This isn’t excess. It’s what it takes to maintain pressure, temperature and stable output on a unit often generating 500 to 1,000 megawatts.

The process leaves no room for interruption.

Coal is pulverized into fine powder, injected into the boiler, and burned at high temperatures to heat water into high-pressure steam. That steam drives turbines, which in turn spin generators feeding electricity into the grid.

Supply logistics become just as critical as the plant itself.

A single facility can require multiple train deliveries per day, especially in regions like the Powder River Basin where unit trains carry up to 15,000 tons each.

It’s a steady, industrial rhythm.

And it shows how coal power isn’t just about mining. It’s about moving, handling and consuming fuel at a scale few other industries match.

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04/29/2026

America Strikes Lithium Gold in Appalachia: 328 Years of Energy Independence Unleashed

The USGS just dropped a bombshell: 2.3 million metric tons of untapped lithium in Appalachian pegmatites. That's 1.4 million tons in the Carolinas and 900,000 tons up north in Maine and New Hampshire—enough to cover every U.S. lithium import for the next 328 years at current rates.

This massive domestic find could power 130 million electric vehicles, 1.6 million grid-scale batteries, or billions of devices without begging China for critical minerals. Secretary Burgum nailed it: smart USGS science, streamlined permitting, and real investment in American mining are finally delivering results.

No more handing our energy future to foreign adversaries. This is what real mineral independence looks like—American resources, American jobs, and American strength. Time to dig in and build.

04/27/2026

On April 20, the White House issued a Presidential Determination under Section 303 of the Defense Production Act directing action on coal supply chains and baseload generation. The determination designates coal mining, logistics, terminals, stockpiles, and plant life-extension as essential to national defense. Coal delivers the stable electricity defense installations and AI data centers demand.

04/22/2026

04/13/2026

6,580. That is the number of active coal-fired power plants worldwide in 2026.

The figure is slightly higher than in 2025, up by around 1%.
Rising energy prices and ongoing geopolitical tensions have slowed the pace of closures in several regions.

China and India continue to dominate the landscape.
Together, they account for more than 65% of all active coal plants globally.

In contrast, the United States and Europe remain deep into their transition away from coal.
Policy pressure, aging fleets and cheaper alternatives have accelerated shutdowns across both regions.

The gap becomes clearer when looking at retirements.
In China and India, less than 10% of coal plants have been taken offline.

In the United States and Europe, that figure exceeds 70%.
Most legacy plants are either inactive or permanently retired.

Coal is declining in some regions, but globally, it remains deeply embedded in the power mix.

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04/02/2026

Here's a fact no one ever talks about.

Between 1990 and today, coal plants have reduced emissions by 99.8 percent in America.

That figure reflects a major shift in how coal is burned and regulated.

Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter have been sharply cut through scrubbers, filters, and tighter standards.

In the United States, these controls became widespread after amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990.

Utilities invested billions to retrofit aging fleets while maintaining output.

Air quality improved across many regions as a result.

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03/29/2026

The U.S. had planned to retire 12.3 gigawatts of coal capacity in 2025. Only 4.6 GW actually came offline.

Coal's staying power isn't just political. It's practical.