A year after Trump's election, coal's future remains bleakWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A year after Donald Trump was elected president on a promise to revive the ailing U.S. coal industry, the sector’s long-term prospects for growth and hiring remain as bleak as ever. A Reuters review of mining data shows an industry that has seen only modest gains in jobs and production this year - much of it from a temporary uptick in foreign demand for U.S. coal rather than presidential policy changes. U.S. utilities are shutting coal-fired power plants at a rapid pace and shifting to cheap natural gas, along with wind and solar power. And domestic demand makes up about 90 percent of the market for U.S. coal. “We’re not planning to build any additional coal facilities,” said Melissa McHenry, a spokeswoman for American Electric Power, one of the largest U.S. utilities. “The future for coal is dictated by economics … and you can’t make those kinds of investments based on one administration’s politics.”  Coal plants now make up 47 percent of AEP’s capacity for power generation, a figure it plans to shrink to 33 percent by 2030. (For a graphic on coal production, demand and employment, see: tmsnrt.rs/2zKY1tQ) The situation highlights the limitations of presidential policy on major industries and global economic trends. As some energy experts have said all along, the forces that will make or break mining are well beyond the powers of the Oval Office. A White House official did not respond to a request for comment. Trump has likely done all he can do to help the industry, said Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the National Mining Association, which represents major U.S. coal companies.  “The government is no longer against us,” he said. “We now only have market forces to contend with.” Trump has taken action on many promises he made to coal interests in states that helped him win the election. The president started the process of killing former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan, meant to reduce carbon emissions from power plants; ended an Obama-era moratorium on coal leasing on federal lands; ditched limits on dumping coal waste into streams; and started withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. Now Trump’s Energy Secretary, Rick Perry, is attempting to push a rule through the independent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that would subsidize power plants that store at least a 90-day supply of coal on site. The goal is to extend the life of some coal burning power plants, a move Perry says will make the electric grid more reliable. While the full impact of Trump’s coal policy could take years to understand, the changes so far are unlikely to boost domestic demand, energy analysts and utility officials said. Trump has cast the coal industry as a victim of burdensome regulation. The industry has lost more than 40 percent of its work force in less than a decade and seen production drop to its lowest levels since 1978. Its share of the power market has fallen to less than a third from about half in 2003. “We’re going to bring the coal industry back 100 percent,” Trump said at a rally in Virginia in August of 2016. So far, progress has been limited. U.S. coal production is on track to rise more than 8 percent in 2017 over the previous year, to 790 million tons, according to the Energy Information Administration. But 2018 output is expected to decline. The number of coal miners has also risen slightly to 51,900 in October, up about 2,200 since November 2016 - but down about 70 percent from a 1985 peak, according to the Labor Department. On November 1, Trump cited the modest production increases in a Tweet, saying, “It is finally happening for our great clean coal miners!” But these increases are largely attributable to demand for U.S. coal from Asian steel mills after temporary outages from their usual suppliers in Australia, according to James Stevenson, a coal analyst at IHS Markit. During the first six months of 2017, Asian countries took in 7.5 million short tons of U.S. coal, up 97 percent over the same period in 2016, according to the EIA. That demand will soon fade, Stevenson said. “We are not going to get a repeat of 2017,” he said of the spike in exports. Forecasts from utilities and the U.S. government reveal little reason for hope of a sustained coal rebound. Utilities are expected to shut down more than 13,600 megawatts of coal plant capacity in 2018. That follows a loss of nearly 8,000 MW this year and 13,000 MW in 2016, according to EIA and Thomson Reuters data.  By 2025, coal-fired power plant capacity will dip to 226,380 MW, down about 30 percent from 2011, according to EIA. Three Texas coal plants owned by Vistra Energy Corp subsidiary Luminant are among the latest to close, bringing the number of plants that shut, or plan to, to 265 since 2010 - a figure higher than the 258 plants that remain, according to the Sierra Club, which has campaigned against coal. Vistra said the closures were forced by lower prices for natural gas and renewable power - and not by environmental regulations. Duke Energy, one of the country’s largest utilities, has shut down more than 5,400 MW of coal capacity since 2011 and plans to shed another 2,000 MW by 2024. Over the next decade, Duke plans to invest $11 billion in new natural gas and renewable power - and nothing in new coal-fired generation, said spokesman Rick Rhodes. A Nov. 2 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis - which has two of the largest coal producers in its district, Peabody Energy Corp and Arch Coal Inc - said coal-fired power plants “may eventually become obsolete.” Coal companies believe they can survive despite the troubling market outlook. Peabody expects a “modest number” of coal power plant retirements in the coming years, with some of that lost capacity shifting to remaining plants that will increase output, spokesman Vic Svec said. Arch spokeswoman Logan Bonacorsi offered a similar forecast.   Robert Murray, the chief executive of privately-held Murray Energy Corp - one of America’s biggest underground miners - said Trump could do more for the industry. The administration, Murray said, should end tax breaks for wind and solar power and reverse an EPA finding that carbon emissions endanger human health. But Trump’s tax bill last week preserved most solar incentives, which have bi-partisan backing. And the EPA has so far steered clear of the so-called “endangerment finding” on emissions that is the basis of many fossil-fuel regulations, given the breadth of scientific evidence that would be needed to reverse it. Murray Energy, meanwhile, announced on Oct. 31 it will buy a 30.5 percent stake in a coal-mining partnership in Utah called Canyon Consolidated Resources, LLC. The deal might help the companies cut costs, but it’s unlikely to help workers: Murray said about 200 of 1,000 jobs in Utah could be lost.  politicsNews
a year trump election coal future remains bleakwashington reuters a year donald trump elected president promise revive ailing coal industry sector prospects growth hiring remain bleak ever a reuters review mining data shows industry seen modest gains jobs production year much temporary pick foreign demand coal rather presidential policy changes utilities shutting power plants rapid pace shifting cheap natural gas along wind solar power and domestic demand makes percent market coal we planning build additional coal facilities said melissa henry spokeswoman american electric power one largest utilities the future coal dictated economics make kinds investments based one administration coal plants make percent amp capacity power generation figure plans shrink percent for graphic coal production demand employment see the situation highlights limitations presidential policy major industries global economic trends as energy experts said along forces make break mining well beyond powers oval office a white house official respond request comment trump likely done help industry said luke popovich spokesman national mining association represents major coal companies the government longer us said we market forces contend trump taken action many promises made coal interests states helped win election the president started process killing former president barack obama clean power plan meant reduce carbon emissions power plants ended moratorium coal leasing federal lands ditched limits dumping coal waste streams started withdrawing united states paris climate agreement now trump energy secretary rick perry attempting push rule independent federal energy regulatory commission would subsidized power plants store least supply coal site the goal extend life coal burning power plants move perry says make electric grid reliable while full impact trump coal policy could take years understand changes far unlikely boost domestic demand energy analysts utility officials said trump cast coal industry victim burdensome regulation the industry lost percent work force less decade seen production drop lowest levels since its share power market fallen less third half we going bring coal industry back percent trump said rally virginia august so far progress limited coal production track rise percent previous year million tons according energy information administration but output expected decline the number coal miners also risen slightly october since november percent peak according labor department on november trump cited modest production increases tweet saying it finally happening great clean coal miners but increases largely attributable demand coal asian steel mills temporary outages usual suppliers australia according james stevenson coal analyst is market during first six months asian countries took million short tons coal percent period according eia that demand soon fade stevenson said we going get repeat said spike exports forecasts utilities government reveal little reason hope sustained coal rebound utilities expected shut megawatts coal plant capacity that follows loss nearly mw year mw according eia thomson reuters data by power plant capacity dip mw percent according eia three texas coal plants owned vista energy corp subsidiary dominant among latest close bringing number plants shut plan since figure higher plants remain according sierra club campaigned coal vista said closures forced lower prices natural gas renewable power environmental regulations duke energy one country largest utilities shut mw coal capacity since plans shed another mw over next decade duke plans invest billion new natural gas renewable power nothing new generation said spokesman rick rhodes a report federal reserve bank louis two largest coal producers district parody energy corp arch coal inc said power plants may eventually become coal companies believe survive despite troubling market outlook parody expects modest number coal power plant retirement coming years lost capacity shifting remaining plants increase output spokesman vic sec said arch spokeswoman logan bonacorsi offered similar forecast robert murray chief executive murray energy corp one america biggest underground miners said trump could industry the administration murray said end tax breaks wind solar power reverse epa finding carbon emissions endanger human health but trump tax bill last week preserved solar incentives backing and epa far steered clear endangerment finding emissions basis many regulations given breadth scientific evidence would needed reverse murray energy meanwhile announced buy percent stake partnership utah called canyon consolidated resources llc the deal might help companies cut costs unlikely help workers murray said jobs utah could lost politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: A year after Trump's election, coal's future remains bleakWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A year after Donald Trump was elected president on a promise to revive the ailing U.S. coal industry, the sector’s long-term prospects for growth and hiring remain as bleak as ever. A Reuters review of mining data shows an industry that has seen only modest gains in jobs and production this year - much of it from a temporary uptick in foreign demand for U.S. coal rather than presidential policy changes. U.S. utilities are shutting coal-fired power plants at a rapid pace and shifting to cheap natural gas, along with wind and solar power. And domestic demand makes up about 90 percent of the market for U.S. coal. “We’re not planning to build any additional coal facilities,” said Melissa McHenry, a spokeswoman for American Electric Power, one of the largest U.S. utilities. “The future for coal is dictated by economics … and you can’t make those kinds of investments based on one administration’s politics.”  Coal plants now make up 47 percent of AEP’s capacity for power generation, a figure it plans to shrink to 33 percent by 2030. (For a graphic on coal production, demand and employment, see: tmsnrt.rs/2zKY1tQ) The situation highlights the limitations of presidential policy on major industries and global economic trends. As some energy experts have said all along, the forces that will make or break mining are well beyond the powers of the Oval Office. A White House official did not respond to a request for comment. Trump has likely done all he can do to help the industry, said Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the National Mining Association, which represents major U.S. coal companies.  “The government is no longer against us,” he said. “We now only have market forces to contend with.” Trump has taken action on many promises he made to coal interests in states that helped him win the election. The president started the process of killing former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan, meant to reduce carbon emissions from power plants; ended an Obama-era moratorium on coal leasing on federal lands; ditched limits on dumping coal waste into streams; and started withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. Now Trump’s Energy Secretary, Rick Perry, is attempting to push a rule through the independent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that would subsidize power plants that store at least a 90-day supply of coal on site. The goal is to extend the life of some coal burning power plants, a move Perry says will make the electric grid more reliable. While the full impact of Trump’s coal policy could take years to understand, the changes so far are unlikely to boost domestic demand, energy analysts and utility officials said. Trump has cast the coal industry as a victim of burdensome regulation. The industry has lost more than 40 percent of its work force in less than a decade and seen production drop to its lowest levels since 1978. Its share of the power market has fallen to less than a third from about half in 2003. “We’re going to bring the coal industry back 100 percent,” Trump said at a rally in Virginia in August of 2016. So far, progress has been limited. U.S. coal production is on track to rise more than 8 percent in 2017 over the previous year, to 790 million tons, according to the Energy Information Administration. But 2018 output is expected to decline. The number of coal miners has also risen slightly to 51,900 in October, up about 2,200 since November 2016 - but down about 70 percent from a 1985 peak, according to the Labor Department. On November 1, Trump cited the modest production increases in a Tweet, saying, “It is finally happening for our great clean coal miners!” But these increases are largely attributable to demand for U.S. coal from Asian steel mills after temporary outages from their usual suppliers in Australia, according to James Stevenson, a coal analyst at IHS Markit. During the first six months of 2017, Asian countries took in 7.5 million short tons of U.S. coal, up 97 percent over the same period in 2016, according to the EIA. That demand will soon fade, Stevenson said. “We are not going to get a repeat of 2017,” he said of the spike in exports. Forecasts from utilities and the U.S. government reveal little reason for hope of a sustained coal rebound. Utilities are expected to shut down more than 13,600 megawatts of coal plant capacity in 2018. That follows a loss of nearly 8,000 MW this year and 13,000 MW in 2016, according to EIA and Thomson Reuters data.  By 2025, coal-fired power plant capacity will dip to 226,380 MW, down about 30 percent from 2011, according to EIA. Three Texas coal plants owned by Vistra Energy Corp subsidiary Luminant are among the latest to close, bringing the number of plants that shut, or plan to, to 265 since 2010 - a figure higher than the 258 plants that remain, according to the Sierra Club, which has campaigned against coal. Vistra said the closures were forced by lower prices for natural gas and renewable power - and not by environmental regulations. Duke Energy, one of the country’s largest utilities, has shut down more than 5,400 MW of coal capacity since 2011 and plans to shed another 2,000 MW by 2024. Over the next decade, Duke plans to invest $11 billion in new natural gas and renewable power - and nothing in new coal-fired generation, said spokesman Rick Rhodes. A Nov. 2 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis - which has two of the largest coal producers in its district, Peabody Energy Corp and Arch Coal Inc - said coal-fired power plants “may eventually become obsolete.” Coal companies believe they can survive despite the troubling market outlook. Peabody expects a “modest number” of coal power plant retirements in the coming years, with some of that lost capacity shifting to remaining plants that will increase output, spokesman Vic Svec said. Arch spokeswoman Logan Bonacorsi offered a similar forecast.   Robert Murray, the chief executive of privately-held Murray Energy Corp - one of America’s biggest underground miners - said Trump could do more for the industry. The administration, Murray said, should end tax breaks for wind and solar power and reverse an EPA finding that carbon emissions endanger human health. But Trump’s tax bill last week preserved most solar incentives, which have bi-partisan backing. And the EPA has so far steered clear of the so-called “endangerment finding” on emissions that is the basis of many fossil-fuel regulations, given the breadth of scientific evidence that would be needed to reverse it. Murray Energy, meanwhile, announced on Oct. 31 it will buy a 30.5 percent stake in a coal-mining partnership in Utah called Canyon Consolidated Resources, LLC. The deal might help the companies cut costs, but it’s unlikely to help workers: Murray said about 200 of 1,000 jobs in Utah could be lost.  politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: a year trump election coal future remains bleakwashington reuters a year donald trump elected president promise revive ailing coal industry sector prospects growth hiring remain bleak ever a reuters review mining data shows industry seen modest gains jobs production year much temporary pick foreign demand coal rather presidential policy changes utilities shutting power plants rapid pace shifting cheap natural gas along wind solar power and domestic demand makes percent market coal we planning build additional coal facilities said melissa henry spokeswoman american electric power one largest utilities the future coal dictated economics make kinds investments based one administration coal plants make percent amp capacity power generation figure plans shrink percent for graphic coal production demand employment see the situation highlights limitations presidential policy major industries global economic trends as energy experts said along forces make break mining well beyond powers oval office a white house official respond request comment trump likely done help industry said luke popovich spokesman national mining association represents major coal companies the government longer us said we market forces contend trump taken action many promises made coal interests states helped win election the president started process killing former president barack obama clean power plan meant reduce carbon emissions power plants ended moratorium coal leasing federal lands ditched limits dumping coal waste streams started withdrawing united states paris climate agreement now trump energy secretary rick perry attempting push rule independent federal energy regulatory commission would subsidized power plants store least supply coal site the goal extend life coal burning power plants move perry says make electric grid reliable while full impact trump coal policy could take years understand changes far unlikely boost domestic demand energy analysts utility officials said trump cast coal industry victim burdensome regulation the industry lost percent work force less decade seen production drop lowest levels since its share power market fallen less third half we going bring coal industry back percent trump said rally virginia august so far progress limited coal production track rise percent previous year million tons according energy information administration but output expected decline the number coal miners also risen slightly october since november percent peak according labor department on november trump cited modest production increases tweet saying it finally happening great clean coal miners but increases largely attributable demand coal asian steel mills temporary outages usual suppliers australia according james stevenson coal analyst is market during first six months asian countries took million short tons coal percent period according eia that demand soon fade stevenson said we going get repeat said spike exports forecasts utilities government reveal little reason hope sustained coal rebound utilities expected shut megawatts coal plant capacity that follows loss nearly mw year mw according eia thomson reuters data by power plant capacity dip mw percent according eia three texas coal plants owned vista energy corp subsidiary dominant among latest close bringing number plants shut plan since figure higher plants remain according sierra club campaigned coal vista said closures forced lower prices natural gas renewable power environmental regulations duke energy one country largest utilities shut mw coal capacity since plans shed another mw over next decade duke plans invest billion new natural gas renewable power nothing new generation said spokesman rick rhodes a report federal reserve bank louis two largest coal producers district parody energy corp arch coal inc said power plants may eventually become coal companies believe survive despite troubling market outlook parody expects modest number coal power plant retirement coming years lost capacity shifting remaining plants increase output spokesman vic sec said arch spokeswoman logan bonacorsi offered similar forecast robert murray chief executive murray energy corp one america biggest underground miners said trump could industry the administration murray said end tax breaks wind solar power reverse epa finding carbon emissions endanger human health but trump tax bill last week preserved solar incentives backing and epa far steered clear endangerment finding emissions basis many regulations given breadth scientific evidence would needed reverse murray energy meanwhile announced buy percent stake partnership utah called canyon consolidated resources llc the deal might help companies cut costs unlikely help workers murray said jobs utah could lost politicsnews