|
Coal Use
Nine of every 10 tons of coal used in the U.S. are for electricity generation.
Coal is used in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Even someone who lives in a state where coal is not mined most likely uses it in some form every day. On average, each person in the U.S. uses about 20 pounds of coal daily.
In some portions of the nation, coal provides a large percentage, if not most, of total electricity generation. Coal is also used directly by industries and manufacturing plants, especially those making chemicals, cement, paper, ceramics and various metal products. It is still an important source of coke for the steel industry. Lignite coal is converted into pipeline quality gas at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant near Beulah, N.D. A coal gasification facility at Plaquemine, La., produces gas for the cogeneration of steam and electricity for the Dow Chemical Co.
Coal by-products serve as the basis for many useful items used by millions of Americans daily, including linoleum, synthetic rubber, insulation; various compounds used in medications, detergents, perfumes, food preservatives and flavorings; and ingredients for fungicides, fertilizers, insecticides and solvents, and wood preservatives.
Coal use has increased steadily over the past two decades to the point where it is now the primary source of energy produced in the United States. It is by far the major source fueling electricity production, currently accounting for 57.3 percent of electricity generated by public utilities.
For the past 25 years, the U.S. economy has become more dependent on electricity to meet a fast-growing demand for energy. Since 1970, coal use by public utilities has risen 173 percent. The U.S. Department of Energy projects demand for coal in power generation to develop as follows: 1.050 million tons by 2010; 1.103 billion tons by 2015: and 1.116 billion tons by 2020.
|
|
