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More Problems With Clean Coal Power Projects

Southern Company is having more issues with its clean coal power plant. This spells trouble for thermal coal companies including Arch Coal and James River Coal Company.

By Joel South and Taylor Muckerman – Nov 2, 2013 at 3:00PM EST

This segment is from Thursday's edition of Digging for Value, in which sector analysts Joel South and Taylor Muckerman discuss energy and materials news with host Alison Southwick. The twice-weekly show can be viewed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It can also be found on Twitter, along with our extended coverage of the energy and materials sectors, @TMFEnergy.

Southern (SO 0.25%) recently announced earnings that were down 12% from last year's third quarter. The company continues to experience cost overruns and time delays on its clean coal power project in Kemper County, Miss. While the expenses aren't a big setback for Southern, the extenuating problems could further hamper the already distressed thermal coal market. If more government regulations are passed on to utility companies regarding coal power generation, natural gas would probably win out, leaving coal companies in a dark place. 

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About the Author

Joel is a University of Washington graduate and covers energy and materials for The Motley Fool. Be sure to follow The Motley Fool's energy and materials Twitter for all your energy and materials coverage. Follow @tmfenergy

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Stocks Mentioned

Southern Company

NYSE: SO

$97.24

(-0.25%)-$0.24

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