Kinder says he's looking for other pipeline partnerships to buy, and Kinder Morgan is expanding into terminals that handle coal and other dry bulk materials, hoping to capitalize on long-term trends such as the shift by electric utilities away from Appalachian coal toward cleaner- burning western coal.

FORBES: Sweet consolation

In the business of shipping dry-bulk cargoes, mostly iron ore, coal and grain, there is not even the hint of a silver lining to the cloud.

ECONOMIST: Shipping

The study identified future potential electric generation capacity of 158 gigawatts for advanced coal, 78 gigawatts for water and dry-cooled concentrated solar energy and 515 gigawatts for large nuclear reactor plants.

FORBES: Plotting The Next-Generation U.S. Power Grid

The company owns and operates a fleet of 29 dry bulk carriers that transport a wide range of commodities, including coal, iron ore, grains, bauxite, phosphate, fertilizers and steel products.

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Mr. Srivastava said apart from production issues, there are also significant difficulties in moving coal from mines to power stations due to a shortage of rail wagons for hauling the dry fuel.

WSJ: Coal to Keep Firing India Power Plants

Recent industrial action by lorry drivers meant petrol stations ran dry, supermarkets ran low on stock, and even hospitals had to make alternative arrangements for deliveries of heating coal.

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