Regardless, come on Roger can’t you come up with something better than “skyrocketing electricity bills and rolling blackouts” and coal accounts for “50% of the country’s fuel” over and over? Got any original thoughts?

How about nearly 500 hundred mountains have been decapitated by mountaintop removal coal mining leaving homes destroyed, streams and rivers polluted and buried and pristine wilderness destroyed so you can have cheap electricity?

How about groundwater and air pollution from mercury spewed out by the combustion of coal in communities all over the country? There’s a reason that plans for 59 of the proposed 150+ plants have been scrapped. It’s because people all over the country are tired of having their children’s health bear the burden of your cheap easy energy needs.

And then there’s the massive threat of global warming created by the burning of coal.

Energy efficiency initiatives and renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power would allow the U.S. to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent by 2020 and obtain 80 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2050 (if the dinosaurs in the coal industry get out of the way and actually let that sector develop, unlikely as they continue to fund everything obstacle to climate progress from climate skeptics to corrupt politicians that support their coal ridden way of life.)

It’s called skyrocketing electricity bills and rolling blackouts!

Sure renewables have a purpose, but have you ever heard of base load versus intermittent power?

Renewables CANNOT provide 24-7 base load electricity generation! What happens when the sun isn’t shining and wind isn’t blowing??? Light a candle and rub your hands over the flame to keep warm?

And what happens when you build your wind farm (which by the way requires massive land development and kills rare species of birds) and there is no transmission lines to carry the INTERMITTENT electricity to homes?

And..what happens to people’s electricity bills when you eliminate coal out of the equation and replace it with higher cost fuels such as natural gas? I guess you just don’t care about the people, who even today, have to choose between heating their homes and eating!!!

The answer is investing in the technology (just like we have done to meet any challenge in any industry) to make coal burn cleaner than it already is!!!!

Pathetic……

if you really want to see the impact of coal go to southern west virginia and see how your energy needs are wrecking lives and destroying the Appalachian mountains.

So…it’s hypocritical to bash our most secure, affordable energy source when in fact, each of you use it!

Furthermore…coal is what’s able to help you actually afford electricity!

What’s the answer to that?

And no…I’m not an employee of the coal industry….just some one who is rational!

By the way Matt…since you are so astute on our energy crisis…how do you think we’ll be able to meet electricity demand without rolling blackouts and skyrocketing electricity bills??? Especially since you think that 50% of the country’s fuel can just be eliminated?????

And actually – the DOE’s NETL lab publishes a document every few months called “Tracking New Coal-Fired Power Plants”. Their report back in May listed 151 proposed plants in their databse. But then their next report in October listed only 121. What happened?

Well – check out our report and you’ll see what happened. If 30 were down the tubes between just May and October – we’ll tell you what happened between January and December.

-Matt

As a matter of FACT, I checked the Department of Energy’s Web site and it says the same.

When you look at the numbers of those cancelled versus those approved, looks like the spin is coming from the enviros!!!

Who’s spinning what????

“Formed in 2000 to develop astroturf support for coal-based electricity, Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC) promotes the interests of mining companies, coal transporters, and electricity producers. A domain name search reveals that ABEC’s website is registered to the coal industry trade organization Center for Energy and Economic Development. (ABEC originally used the http://www.balancedenergy.org domain but later switched to a website titled America’s Power” (Sourcewatch)

Currently, there are more than 120 coal-fueled power plants currently under or near construction, permitted or in the early stages of development. The US EIA projects the need for an average of 6,000 megawatts (MW) per year through 2030.

The breakdown of new plants according to status and capacity is:
• Currently under construction: 24 (capacity 12,506 MW)
• Near construction: 8 (capacity 4,565 MW)
• Permitted: 13 (capacity 23,240 MW)
• Announced: 76 (48, 440 MW)

“According to the US Energy Information Association (EIA), electricity demand nationwide will nearly double in the next 20 years. With a 250-year supply of coal, the United States is in a position to leverage its most abundant domestic resource to provide secure, affordable energy,” said Joe Lucas, ABEC executive director.

Lucas clearly admits that there have been some high profile coal projects that have either been delayed or cancelled. “But the research shows there are many more projects that have been approved and under construction than have been cancelled,” said Lucas.

Lucas acknowledged that a lot can happen between when a project is announced and a permit is issued and a project begins construction. “But, in order to get a full appreciation of coal’s near-term future, you have to focus as much on what is being built rather just looking at instances where coal projects are in trouble,” said Lucas.

“Construction of these new coal-fueled plants will not only make it possible to meet this growing electricity demand, but help further the development and deployment of technology that increases plant efficiencies and reduces emissions. During the past 35 years, the use of coal in the U.S. has nearly tripled, at the same time, air quality improved and emissions from coal-based electricity are 33 percent lower despite this increased use,” Lucas said.

Lucas also said the research is more than just a running total of what is being built versus projects that have died. It also identifies technology deployment and economic impact.

Every plant listed as under or near construction or permitted has proposed deploying technology including subcritical and supercritical pulverized coal (PC) technology, clean coal fluidized bed technology (CFB) or integrated gasification and combined cycle (IGCC) technology.

Research indicates that coal, in addition to providing affordable electricity, plays an important role in other areas of a state’s economy. According to research, US coal-fueled electricity contributes $1.05 trillion in gross economic output, $362 billion in annual household incomes and 6.8 million jobs in 2015. As a result, halted or deferred plant development may result in insufficient electricity capacity growth, which would affect a state’s economic output, household income and job growth.

“Not only does coal provide a constant, reliable flow of base load power, but its transmission capabilities can help further diversify a state’s energy portfolio. Many wind-generating power sites lack transmission lines needed to send the power to its customers. The construction of new coal-fueled plants can help further advance wind power by providing much needed transmission capabilities wind power generating sites currently lack,” Lucas said.

The following is a list of coal-fueled plants currently under construction, its location and initial opening year:
• Black Hills Wygen plant, Gillette, WY, 2008
• Arkansas River Power Lamar plant, Lamar, CO, 2008
• WPS Resources Weston plant, Rothschild, WI, 2008
• Newmont Mining TS Power plant, Dunphy, NV, 2008
• Santee Cooper Cross plant, Cross, SC, 2009
• East Kentucky Power Spurlock plant, Maysville, KY, 2009
• Omaha Public Power Nebraska City plant, Nebraska City, NE, 2009
• Wisconsin Energy Elm Road plant, Milwaukee, WI, 2009
• TXU Sandow Repower plant, Milam County, TX, 2009
• San Antonio Spruce plant, San Antonio, TX, 2009
• TXU Oak Grove plant, Franklin, TX, 2009
• Salt River Power Springerville plant, Springerville, AZ, 2009
• Springfield, IL Dallman plant, Lake Springfield, IL, 2010
• Springfield, MO Southwest plant, Springfield, MO, 2010
• LG&E Energy Trimble County plant, Trimble County, KY, 2010
• Kansas City P&L Iatan plant, Weston, MO, 2010
• LS Power Plum Point plant, Osceola, AR, 2010
• GenPower/First Reserve Longview plant, Monongalia County, WV, 2011

It would be interesting to see a number on the amount of CO2 NOT being emitted into the atmosphere as a result of these plants being grounded.