1. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

2. Coal Basics Most abundant of fossil fuels World’s largest energy source Type of rock composed of organic matter having been trapped and compressed underground Classified into four varieties Our constraints to future use are more about environmental concerns than about availability

3. …and its humble beginnings. Types of Coal

4. Peat  Organic material which is the raw material of coal.

5. Lignite (brown coal)  Relative youngest, softest type of coal  25% - 35% carbon content  Least valuable, lowest energy density  Heat content of 4,000 – 8,300 BTU/lb

6. Sub-bituminous Coal  Higher energy density  35% - 45% carbon content  Over 40 percent of US production  Heat value of 8,300 – 13,000 BTU/lb

7. Bituminous Coal  Highest energy density  45% - 86% carbon  Half of US production  Heat value of 10,500 – 15,500 BTU/lb

8. Anthracite  86-98% carbon  Less abundant  Heat value of nearly 15,000 BTU/lb

9. So…the process:

10. Coal Use  World consumption is roughly 5.5 billion tons annually. 67% shipped to electricity producers 30% shipped to industrial users Remaining 3% for commercial and residential heat

11. Coal Availability Estimates of world’s recoverable reserves in 2008 were 998 billion tons – Enough for over 200 years at current rate of consumption – Largest reserves by location: 27%: United States 17%: Russia 13%: China 9%: Australia

12. Variety and Location of U.S. Coal Reserves

13. U.S. Coal Production

14. Extraction and Transportation  Two different mining techniques- surface and underground  Surface mining is cheaper Coal seam must be no deeper than 200ft Accounts for 67% of US production while only 40% of world production

15. Coal typically must go to a preparation plant to first be processed- increasing its heating value Shipping costs frequently more expensive than mining it – Transportation represents up to 70% of delivered cost – Transportation by barge cheaper, but 60% in US delivered by rail

16. Coal Use in United States  Coal is the dominant source for US electricity generation Of the 1.1 billion tons consumed in 2005, about: – 92% power generation – 5% other industrial – 2% coke –.3% residential

17. Sources of Energy in the U.S.

18. Pollution/Environmental Impact Problematic emissions include: – sulfur, nitrous oxides, mercury, carbon dioxide Coal industry uses variety of techniques to comply with Clean Air Act regulations: – Mine low-sulfur coal varieties – Chemically cleaned in processing – Emissions “scrubbers” Coal accounts for roughly 80% of carbon dioxide emissions from US electricity generation

19. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bcRgnIcntI&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdHuB7Ovl2o&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmVDu_gIpc4&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2g3URLTMo4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql1R77OELyQ