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

Due to the fact after years of mine shutdowns and declining prices, the coal sector is making a prosperous return.

In the early 1900s, coal was the nation's significant fuel supply, supplying practically 90 percent of its energy needs, according to the Division of Power.

When the cleaner, much more effective petroleum and all-natural gas came into play, the demand for coal declined. Today, almost 55 percent of the nation's electrical energy is produced using coal, and the numbers are growing, according to the Planet Coal Institute.

Even although perceptions of the coal market have changed substantially over the years, coal maintains its crucial function in the world's energy mix for many factors. It is easy and secure to transport, it remains far less costly than natural gas, and it is abundantly available.

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

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In 1999, natural gas was the most high-priced fossil fuel, petroleum was second and coal was the least costly, according to the Department of Energy. Though the price of generating electrical energy from coal has increased by way of the years, it is still lower than the expense of generating electrical power from either natural gas or petroleum.

As for cleaner air, coal has lengthy been unpopular with environmentalists who argue the fossil fuel creates the greatest quantity of mercury and carbon dioxide emission, connected with worldwide warming. Present energy bills, however, propose clean coal power initiatives, which would implement high-tech ways to decrease pollution when electrical power is produced from coal.

These days, mines that were closed in the 1990s after a downturn in coal prices are becoming reopened in Southeastern United States. Quest Minerals and Mining (OTC BB: QMMG.OB) is acquiring and reopening properties that make coal in compliance with Clean Air Act specifications. According to Quest, coal emitting much less than 1.two pounds of sulfur dioxide per million BTU, typically referred to as "low-sulfur coal" is presently trading at much more than $50 per ton.