EPA moves to curb state powers to deny permits for energy projects

Scientists have discovered why some of the richest ore deposits on the planet, such as copper, zinc, silver and uranium, were formed in the middle period of Earth’s history.

Coal accounted for 62% of the nation’s energy mix last year, down from 64% in 2015.

On the level of transparency in the approvals process, jurisdictions in the US, Australia and Scandinavia performed better than Canada, a fresh report by the Fraser Institute, shows.

Both provinces displaced Western Australia from the first to the third place thanks partly to their rich mineral reserves, competitive tax regimes, efficient permitting procedures, and certainty surrounding environmental regulations.

Canada’s oil sands could struggle to rebound, with potentially billions of barrels of oil being kept underground permanently.

The Trump administration has made another pro-coal decision, this time relating to how Washington calculates royalties on coal mined from federal and Indian lands.

A practical method for extracting the uranium present in the oceans could help make nuclear power a viable part of the quest for a carbon-free energy future, researchers say.

Miners and explorers are only spending a third of what they did four years ago – and proportion of greenfield exploration are at record lows.

Things are looking up for the Australian coal industry.