GLG News by Ethanol Plant Developers

    The most recent Surface Transportation Board Rate Case filed by Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) against the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) for coal transportation from the Powder River Basin to the Muskogee coal plant actually shows the attractiveness of this move to the...

    Another coal-transporting utility has filed a Rate Case at the Surface Transportation Board (STB) alleging excessive rates for coal transportation.  This most recent case was filed by Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) against the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) for coal...

    The suit alleges four of the Class I Railroads violated Federal antitrust laws with respect to fuel surcharge.  The four Class I Railroads in the suit are CSX, Norfolk Southern, BNSF Railway, and Union Pacific Railroad.  The time period is July 2003 through June 20...

    The Dakota Minnesota & Eastern (DM&E) Railroad was recently acquired by the Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway.  The DM&E has for years been proposing an extension to the Wyoming Powder River Basin coal reserves.  This project, if commenced, would upgrade an...

    The year-to-date and outlook for many of the items transported by the U.S. railroads are down, coal transportation has been positive.  The discussions that follows list some of the positives for the railroads.

    Coal companies have issued force majeure declarations to customers due to various production-related issues.  These are discussed in the section below.

    As the referenced article states, there are many benefits in the Emergency Stabilization Act for the coal industry.  One not discussed is the refund of the coal excise tax.  The commentary section discusses this.

    The Emergency Stabilization Act signed into law on October 3, 2008 includes an extension of tax credits for renewable energy and refined coal.  The discussion that follows includes items to consider regarding the refined coal tax credit.

The ethanol industry has grown to nearly 10 billion gallons of annual production, currently replacing 7% of our gasoline.  Most of this production has come on line in the past 10 years and it may just be the beginning.  It appears that the respective economics of oil and biomass are rapidly...

    The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on February 8, 2009 in favor of the plaintiffs that coal plants could not be removed from the list of mercury sources subject to a Maximum Available Control Technology (MACT) standard and the subsequent movements to require EPA to set a...