Boehm

This is the 21st century. Why are we burning small black rocks to charge our laptops and cell phones?

Due to the fact following years of mine shutdowns and declining prices, the coal business is producing a prosperous return. visit our site

In the early 1900s, coal was the nation's significant fuel source, supplying virtually 90 percent of its power needs, according to the Department of Energy.

When the cleaner, more efficient petroleum and natural gas came into play, the demand for coal declined. Nowadays, almost 55 percent of the nation's electrical power is created utilizing coal, and the numbers are growing, according to the World Coal Institute.

Even although perceptions of the coal sector have altered drastically over the years, coal maintains its vital function in the world's power mix for numerous factors. It is straightforward and secure to transport, it remains far less expensive than natural gas, and it is abundantly accessible.

But it wasn't till natural gas rates shot up and California was held back by blackouts that the coal industry took center stage. For decades, it seemed to be dying. But with easing of pollution controls, the Bush Administration started to establish the groundwork for a resurgence of coal-fired power across the nation.

In 1999, all-natural gas was the most high-priced fossil fuel, petroleum was second and coal was the least pricey, according to the Division of Power. Despite the fact that the cost of generating electricity from coal has increased by way of the years, it is still lower than the cost of producing electrical power from either natural gas or petroleum.

As for cleaner air, coal has extended been unpopular with environmentalists who argue the fossil fuel generates the greatest quantity of mercury and carbon dioxide emission, linked with international warming. Current power bills, however, propose clean coal power initiatives, which would implement high-tech approaches to minimize pollution when electrical power is generated from coal.

Nowadays, mines that were closed in the 1990s right after a downturn in coal costs are being reopened in Southeastern United States. Quest Minerals and Mining (OTC BB: QMMG.OB) is acquiring and reopening properties that produce coal in compliance with Clean Air Act specifications. According to Quest, coal emitting much less than 1.2 pounds of sulfur dioxide per million BTU, typically referred to as "low-sulfur coal" is at present trading at a lot more than $50 per ton.