CONSOL Energy Inc. (NYSE:CEIX) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript

Jimmy Brock: Well, the first one that has the greatest amount of concern is the clean power for the — Clean Power 2.0 or Carbon Rule. Obviously, they have deadlines out there and it’s — you can either decide you’re going to retire the coal-fired plant and run longer or you can make the upgrades with the carbon capture and be allowed to run to a longer period. So to me, Lucas, the big thing is about where are we going to get the power needed if the rule goes in as is. My expectation is there’ll be a lot of litigation. I know it’s already been talked about among trade associations and others, but the American people that are listening should be really worried about this, because we are headed for a grid collision. I mean, power demand is moving in the exact opposite way and then we’re forcing these coal-fired plants to retire at an accelerated rate if this Clean Power Plan goes through as the regulations have stated on April 24th.

So to me, it has some concern, and I think, it would be probably later in this decade before you started to see any of the direction it’s going to go. So I think we have some time, but the way the rules are out today, it should not only be me worried, it should be all the American people about where they’re going to get their electricity from with the demand rates coming as they are.

Lucas Pipes: Jimmy, I really appreciate your perspective. Again, keep up the good work and best of luck.

Jimmy Brock: Thanks, Lucas.

Operator: We don’t have further questions at this time, presenters please continue.

Jimmy Brock: Thank you. We’d like to thank you all for your participation this morning and for your support of CONSOL Energy. We hope we answered your questions and we look forward to speaking with you on our next earnings call. Thank you.

Operator: This concludes today’s conference call. Thank you for your participation. You may now disconnect.