
Americans are on track to use more coal this year — first increase since 2014
CBSN
Americans' use of coal is set to increase this year — the first time in seven years that annual use of the energy source has risen.
Coal, which accounted for about 20% of U.S electricity in 2020, is on track to generate roughly 24% of the nation's power this year, the Energy Information Administration predicted this week. That's largely because natural gas, coal's main competitor, has gotten pricier in the past year, the agency said.
Still, the spike in coal usage is likely to be short-lived, with the EIA expecting coal power to decline again next year.

After years of unsuccessful attempts to finance and build a public alarm network that would warn residents of Kerr County, Texas, about dangerous flooding, officials in the region, nicknamed "flash flood alley," were going to start developing a centralized flood monitoring system this summer to help leaders and emergency managers plan ahead.

Washington — The Senate is expected to vote next week on a request from the White House to claw back funding for international aid and public broadcasting. But the funding for rural radio and television stations — sometimes an area's sole source for emergency warnings and other news — has sparked concern among some Senate Republicans, especially after the recent devastating flash floods in Texas.