For the past several weeks I have been discussing alternate energy sources that could be employed in the future. These resources could have great potential with increased research and development, but the world does not use them for widespread energy production currently. This week I’m going to be discussing an energy source currently in use: coal. As many of you know, coal is the compacted remains of plant matter from millions of years ago. Energy-producing coal is mainly developed from peat, and coal bodies usually occur in between layers of sedimentary rocks, such as sandstone, limestone, and shale. Coal has been used for decades to produce electricity, but the industry is currently in an economic valley. The coal industry is naturally cyclical, so valleys and peaks are common. Despite the current lax in production, the industry will pick up again and coal will once again be a huge contributor to the world’s energy production.

Before getting into the real details of coal, it would be beneficial to understand how a coal-burning electricity plant operates. First, the coal is crushed into a much finer gravel/dust state before being taken by a conveyor to a boiler. Once in the boiler, the coal is burned, boiling the water and generating steam. The steam is separated from the smoke and sent to a turbine while the smoke is expelled through a smokestack. The steam then spins the turbine which creates electricity in a generator; the electricity is then distributed to society. After the steam spins the turbine, it is sent to a condenser to be turned back into water and used again in the same process.

The United States is capable of producing close to one billion tons of coal every year, which accounts for almost twelve percent of the world’s total supply. The country is one of the biggest producers of the coal in the world; the only country that produces more is China at about four billion tons per year. As of 2011, the United States was the only country in the top three producers, third place being India, to produce more coal than it was consuming. Today, about forty percent of the energy used in the US comes from burning coal, which is approximately equivalent to every person in the country using three tons of coal annually. Based on these numbers, the country has enough of a coal supply to last for the next two hundred and thirty five years in ore bodies found in the Appalachian, Interior, and Western regions of the country. The United States has plenty of coal ore bodies to provide for itself and others until renewable energy sources are a more economical and efficient possibility.

The use of coal has many advantages, such as its availability and economic efficiency. As stated earlier, the United States has over two hundred years of coal reserves left, plenty of coal to produce electricity for generations. Several countries in the world have a high amount of ore reserves as well, making coal one of the most available and easy to get to energy sources in the world. In addition, coal power plants are already in use, which makes it cheaper to continue their use or to increase production. If the country were to switch to wind power, the whole system would have to be overhauled to account for the drastic change in energy source. This would lead to the electricity produced being incredibly expensive for several years. Coal is already used; therefore, it would be much cheaper to continue its use. While coal does have its upsides, there are definitely some downsides to take into account. First, everyone already knows that burning coal releases greenhouses gases, namely carbon dioxide. Because of this, burning coal pollutes the air and has the potential to produce acid rain. Another main disadvantage cited is that it’s non-renewable. Coal is created over thousands of years of incredible heat and pressure, so it will not be renewable in this millennium. While coal will be made in thousands and millions of year, it is not produced fast enough to be considered renewable in the short run. Lastly, one downside that many people may overlook is the fact that coal is a solid material. This means that coal is harder to transport than a liquid or gas, such as oil or natural gas, and that it is harder to burn than other states of matter. Despite these disadvantages, coal produces enough energy to be used to produce the majority of the country’s energy needs.

Coal is one of the oldest energy sources the country still uses, and until other energy production methods are perfected, coal will still be used. Producing electricity by burning coal does contribute to the expulsion of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as well as some other environmental and societal downsides, but the world needs a constant supply on energy, one that coal can always provide.

 

“Coal.” Coal. Western Oregon University, n.d. Web. <http://www.wou.edu/las/physci/GS361/Fossil%20fuels/Coal.htm>

“Fast Facts About Coal.” TeachCoal.org. American Coal Foundation, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. <http://teachcoal.org/fast-facts-about-coal>.

“Fossil Energy: A Brief History of Coal Use in the United States.” DOE – Fossil Energy: A Brief History of Coal Use in the United States. U.S. Department of Energy, n.d. Web. <http://www.fe.doe.gov/education/energylessons/coal/coal_history.html>.