An Introduction To Coal Energy What is Coal

An Introduction To Coal Energy

What is Coal? • Coal is a combustible black rock that is mined from the Earth.

What Does Coal Look Like?

Why is Coal Black? ? ? • It’s full of carbon which when used (burnt) is released into the environment.

Where Do We Get Coal From? ?

How Do We Get Coal? • Coal comes from coal beds or seams in the ground.

Like Surface Mining

What Was Coal Used For & When? Today • Coal used to produce roughly 50% of all U. S energy 1900 s • Coal used for about 75% of all U. S energy. • Oil began to gain on coal in the late 1900 s 1800 s • Coal fueled the Industrial Revolution • Coal was used in things like steam trains and to produce steel

Or Mining Deeper In the Earth

What Types of Coal Are There? • Anthracite: (Best): Very hard and used for heating applications. (Pennsylvania) • Bituminous: (Next Best): Dense coal used in industrial purposes (steel production) as well as electrical generation. (East of the Mississippi) • Sub. Bituminous: (Not So Good): One step up from lignite. Used mostly for producing steam for power plants. (Montana/Wyoming) • Lignite: (Not Good At All) Poor quality coal that is used exclusively for electrical generation. (West of the Missippi)

What Do We Use Coal For? • Generation of electricity • Industrial (Production of steel and other goods) • Generation of heat to create steam • Heating residential and commercial buildings

What Do We Use Coal For?