In some parts of the country, coal might seem like an endangered species, threatened by shiny new energy sources and the president’s recent proposal to cut carbon emissions. But in Wyoming, coal’s culture runs deep. Miners there extract over one million tons of the hard black rock every single day. Inside Energy’s Leigh Paterson reports.
Girls in clunky roller skates whizz past their coach
"GO GO GO GO! Sticky skate, sticky skate, go go go!"
They’re sweaty, tattooed, and playing some SERIOUS defense.
This roller derby team represents Gillette, the HEART of Wyoming’s coal industry. And...as team president Katie Buffington explains, so..does their name.
"We're called the Coal Miner’s Daughters, number one because Loretta Lynn rocks!"
"Number two because coal is the main source of income in the area. And we really wanted to get back to our roots, where we come from."
And are there actual coal miners daughters on the team?
"Yes there are. We have daughters, we have actual coal miners, we have sisters, daughters, uncles, cousins. Coal is so deeply rooted in the community that you really can’t go anywhere without meeting a coal miners daughter, at roller derby or not."
Maybe that’s because ONE out of every hundred Wyoming residents works in the coal industry. AND the state produces a whopping 40% of the nations coal. So, despite concern over climate change, natural gas, wind and solar, Wyoming’s coal industry is chugging along.
And in Gillette, its everywhere: from the coal trains running right through town, to the watering holes where miners blow off steam.
"I swear that glass isn’t big enough. I’d like a bigger one, please!"
Troy Goodsell orders a double whiskey and coke. Other guys nurse beers or have a smoke. A normal scene-- except for the time OF DAY. ITS 8am.
" We all just got off work. For some of us it’s the end of our 4 night shifts."
But Goodsell grew up with the demands of shift work. His dad was a miner for thirty-four years.
"And my mom was a mechanic at the same mine."
"Is that how they met?"
"I think so actually!"
Coal has played a huge role in Goodsell’s life AND family tree but I asked him to explain to my grandmother in New York why she, or anyone else, should care about coal.
"Hi Granny in New York, 40% of your nations energy comes from coal. Its easily obtainable, its not hard to get and its easy to make electricity out of. Soo, what else would your granny ask?"
Here’s why Wyoming coal is important: Between 2002 and 2012 production in the other big coal states, West Virginia and Kentucky, fell by 23 percent --- IN THE SAME PERIOD - Wyoming coal production went up eight percent...
"Anybody been to an open pit coal mine? No, okay we’ve got a bunch of newbies."
So, I took a tour with a miner turned school teacher named Danelle Wilkerson to find out why. Wilkerson explains that most Wyoming mines are surface mines- like this one- you can see right in.
"With this, they’re just removing the dirt. The 200 or 300 feet over overburden. So its all open."
Which means the coal is cheaper and easier to extract. Its also burns cleaner because of its low SULFUR content. And so even under the EPA’s new plan to slash CO2 emissions by 2030, Wyoming would have to reduce its OWN emission rate by just 19%. which is less than most other states. And THAT could be good news for Wyoming coal.
"It's more competitive in the marketplace from an environmental standpoint."
That’s Tom Drean of Wyoming’s State Geological Survey. But, he says that overall, the industry is struggling.
"Many states have been hit harder than Wyoming but Wyoming has been hit too."
Like the state’s biggest coal company, Cloud Peak Energy. They reported large losses in their first quarter earnings this year, AND ALSo in the second quarter. If nothing else, these figures are a symbol of an industry in distress.
Back at roller derby practice, even a die-hard coal miners daughter, acknowledges that Wyoming’s industry must innovate in order to stay strong. Katie Buffington again.
"Something does need to change. Because the way its going, some mines are doing better than others. And it is one of the main sources of income in this area. If the coal mines were to shut down, so would Wyoming."
