Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Wed, May 06, 2026 06:59 PM All times are UTC

Follow Series

Future of Coal Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Despite major shifts in the industry and serious worries in coal communities, today coal still supplies nearly 40% of our electricity. According to the Bureau of Land Management, one out of every five homes and business in the US use electricity made from Wyoming coal. But what does the future look like for fossil fuels in a world where there is increasing pressure to keep them in the ground? In this series, we examine the role of coal as an energy source in a world where constraints on carbon emissions are adopted to mitigate global warming. Indeed, the challenge for governments and industry is to find a path that mitigates carbon emissions yet continues to utilize coal to meet urgent energy needs, especially in developing economies.

Future of Coal Series

Australian trade deficit narrows in September, driven by firmer coal exports

Nov 03, 2016 05:25 am UTC| Commentary Economy

Australias trade balance improved during the month of September, driven by strong exports of coal and significantly beating market expectations. This surprise improvement was driven by a spike in resource exports, with...

Future of Coal Series

Australia's coal politics are undermining democratic and Indigenous rights

Oct 26, 2016 09:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Can Australia achieve fair and open decision-making when big coal players are involved? The case of Adanis proposed Carmichael coal mine suggests the answer is no, and Indigenous land owners are bearing the brunt. The...

Future of Coal Series

The gas industry needs a carbon price to compete with coal

Oct 25, 2016 17:20 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Putting a price on carbon would benefit the Australian gas industry, at least in the short term. It is therefore in the interests of gas producers to lobby for the emissions trading scheme proposed for the electricity...

Future of Coal Series

China’s coal imports likely to remain strong, policy measures to dictate prices

Oct 20, 2016 06:36 am UTC| Economy Commentary

Coal imports in China are expected to remain strong in the near term, despite efforts to limit the impact of capacity closures on utilities, while prices are likely to be dictated by the countrys policy...

Future of Coal Series

Bangladesh is building a dirty and expensive coal plant next to the world's largest mangrove forest

Sep 27, 2016 13:42 pm UTC| Insights & Views

A controversial new coal power plant being built in Bangladesh is already running out of friends. Environmentalists worry it will spell disaster for the worlds largest mangrove forest, while locals worry about pollution...

Future of Coal Series

King Coal is dethroned in the US – and that's good news for the environment

Sep 23, 2016 08:08 am UTC| Insights & Views

This is the worst year in decades for U.S. coal. During the first six months of 2016, U.S. coal production was down a staggering 28 percent compared to 2015, and down 33 percent compared to 2014. For the first time ever,...

Future of Coal Series

Pacific pariah: how Australia’s love of coal has left it out in the diplomatic cold

Sep 23, 2016 08:06 am UTC| Insights & Views

Australias Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will have some explaining to do when he attends the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Pohnpei, Micronesia, this week. Australias continued determination to dig up coal,...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Economy

Yen Surges After Suspected Japan Currency Intervention

The Japanese yen strengthened sharply on Wednesday, hitting its highest level in more than two months after reports suggested that Japanese authorities recently intervened in the foreign exchange market to support the...

Italy Services PMI Nears Stabilization as Middle East Tensions Push Costs Higher

Italys service sector faced mounting cost pressures in April 2026, with businesses reporting the sharpest rise in input prices in more than three years amid ongoing instability in the Middle East. According to the latest...

European Stocks Rally as Trump Halts Hormuz Operation, Oil Prices Slide

European stock markets opened sharply higher on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump paused a military-backed effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, boosting investor confidence and raising hopes for a potential...

Fitch Upgrades Argentina to B- as Milei Reforms Strengthen Economy

Fitch Ratings has upgraded Argentinas Long-Term Foreign Currency and Local Currency Issuer Default Rating to B- from CCC+ with a Stable outlook, signaling growing confidence in the countrys economic recovery under...

Asian Currencies Rise as Middle East Tensions Ease, South Korean Won Surges After Inflation Data

Asian currencies mostly strengthened on Wednesday as easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East boosted investor confidence and weakened the U.S. dollar. Market sentiment improved after U.S. President Donald Trump...

Politics

Ukraine Accuses Russia of Violating Ceasefire Amid Fresh Drone and Missile Attacks

Ukraine has accused Russia of breaking a newly proposed ceasefire just hours after it came into effect at midnight on Wednesday, intensifying tensions in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Ukrainian officials reported that...

US Military Strike in Eastern Pacific Sparks Debate Over ‘Narco-Terrorist’ Operations

The U.S. military confirmed on Tuesday that it carried out another deadly strike in the Eastern Pacific, targeting a vessel allegedly linked to drug trafficking operations. According to U.S. Southern Command, the operation...

Guatemala President Bernardo Arevalo Appoints Gabriel Garcia Luna as New Attorney General

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo has appointed former judge and university professor Gabriel Estuardo Garcia Luna as the countrys new attorney general, marking a significant political shift in Guatemalas justice...

Rubio Signals Possible U.S. Action on Cuba, Calls Current Situation “Unacceptable”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the current situation in Cuba is unacceptable, signaling that the United States intends to address ongoing concerns involving the island nation in the future. Speaking...

Lula and Trump to Discuss Brazil-U.S. Anti-Crime Partnership During Washington Meeting

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to prioritize security cooperation and organized crime prevention during his upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington this week. According to...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

Hua Hong Semiconductor Stock Surges to Multi-Year High Amid AI Boom

Hua Hong Semiconductor shares soared on Wednesday as investors rushed into technology stocks fueled by strong artificial intelligence momentum and improving confidence in Chinas economy. The Hong Kong-listed chipmaker...

Infineon Raises 2026 Outlook as AI Data Center Chip Demand Surges

Infineon Technologies (ETR: IFXGn) raised its fiscal 2026 revenue growth forecast on Wednesday, citing booming demand for AI data center power chips despite continued weakness in the electric vehicle semiconductor market....

BHP Attracts AI-Focused Investors as Copper Demand Surges

BHP Group is drawing growing attention from international investors as the global artificial intelligence boom increases the value of copper, according to Chief Financial Officer Vandita Pant. Speaking at the Macquarie...

AMD Q1 Earnings Surge on AI Demand, Stock Jumps After Strong Guidance

AMD delivered stronger-than-expected first-quarter 2026 earnings, fueled by booming demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure and data center chips. The semiconductor giant reported adjusted earnings of $1.37 per...

Agentic AI Boom to Drive Massive Growth in CPU Market, UBS Says

The rapid rise of agentic AI is reshaping the future of data center infrastructure, creating major growth opportunities for CPU manufacturers such as Arm Holdings, AMD, and Intel. According to UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri,...