A History of Coal, continued:

The Present

Nine out of every 10 tons of coal mined in the U.S. is used to generate electricity. Did You Know? Some Facts About Coal 1. The United States produces about 35%, or 1 billion tons, of the world's coal supply—more than any other country produces. 2. Coal ash is used as filler for tennis rackets, golf balls, and linoleum. 3. More than 2 million acres of mined land have been reclaimed over the past 20 years—that's an area larger than the state of Delaware. 4. The United States has more than a 250-year supply of coal, if it continues using coal at the same rate at which it uses coal today. 5. Montana is the state with the most coal reserves (120 billion tons). But Wyoming is the top coal-producing state—it produced about 368 million tons in 2001. more coal facts (click here)

Although coal may not be as visible today as it was around 1900, it is even more prevalent as a source of fuel. Coal production has increased by more than 70 percent since 1970.

If you use electricity, chances are that you are a coal consumer. Nine out of every 10 tons of coal mined in the United States today is used to generate electricity. About 56 percent of the electricity used in this country is coal-generated electricity.

Electricity generation is just one use of coal in the United States. In addition, manufacturing plants and industries use coal to make chemicals, cement, paper, ceramics, and metal products, to name a few. Methanol and ethylene, which can be made from coal gas, are used to make products such as plastics, medicines, fertilizers, and tar.

Certain industries consume large amounts of coal. For example, concrete and paper companies burn coal, and the steel industry uses coke and coal by-products to make steel for bridges, buildings, and automobiles.

About 9 percent of U.S.-mined coal is exported to some 40 countries, including Canada, Japan, and western European nations.

The Future
The United States has more than a 250-year supply of coal, if it continues to use it at the same rate as today. This is promising because, in addition to the many existing ways to use coal, the future holds new methods and potential for growth. Products from coal may soon be part of communications and transportation systems, computer networks, and even space expeditions.

Coal will likely continue to be an important source of electricity generation because it is more abundant and cost-effective than oil and natural gas. Compare these energy costs per million British thermal units (Btus):

• Coal—$1.20
• Oil—$4.45
• Natural gas—$4.30

Although coal is widely used for electricity generation in the United States and in countries throughout Europe, there will likely be a significant increase in the use of coal for electricity generation in countries such as China and India.

In addition to these new and increased uses of coal, new technologies will continue to enhance our ability to identify the shape and composition of untapped coal reserves. Core samples and information about the layers of overburden (the topsoil, subsoil, and other layers of earth and rock covering the coal bed) can be analyzed before the expensive process of coal removal begins. New technologies will also continue to improve the effects of the production and use of coal on the environment.