Introduction• Energy mineral base cannot support exponential

growth of population• Facts

– 70s shortages increased prices/decreased demand– Oil glut of the 80s overcame these memories– US population 5% of the World; consume 25% of world

energy• 90% from coal, oil, and natural gas (fossil fuels)• 10% hydro, nuclear power, and alternatives

Introduction

• Facts– Alternative energy

• Solar & wind power, making progress

– Information on trends• Difficult to extrapolate to

the future • Much energy used for

low temperature processes like space and water heating

(100-300C)

Fossil Fuels• Solidified form of solar energy – stored in

the form of organic material that has escaped total destruction by oxidation

• Geology of Coal– 20% of U.S. energy consumption.

High environmental costs– Plant Residue Formed in:

• Ancient fresh- or brackish-water swamps

• Coastal lagoons• Estuaries• Low-lying coastal plains and

deltas• Example

– Florida's mangrove swamps

Geology of Coal

• Coal forming processes– Abundant growth– Accumulation as peat– Inundated by sea– Buried by sediment– Compacted and volatiles

expelled– Coal begins to form– Cycle may be repeated

several times in a single area

Geology of Coal

• Classification– Rank

• Carbon content– Sulfur – Confusion

• Bituminous vs. anthracite

Distribution of Coal• Classified by sulfur content

– West of the Mississippi– East of the Mississippi

Coal Resources

Impact of Coal Mining• Strip mining (open pit) vs.

Underground mining

– Cost

– Safety

– Impact varies with location, topography, climate, and reclamation practices

• Humid climate – impacts more pronounced

• Dry climates

• Underground mining

– Acid mine drainage

– Land subsidence

– Fires

– Spoil piles

Impact of Coal Mining

• Open Pit– Area mining

• Flat terrains• Greater water pollution

problems– Contour mining

• On slopes• More sediment polluti

– Good land reclamation• Minimize the impact• Difficult in dry areas

– Soils are thin– Water is lacking

Future Uses of Coal• Power plant conversions

– Coal gasification

• Decreasing petroleum reserves• Impacts

– Larger scale mining and land destruction

– Ash production will increase– Handling this volume of material

will affect all aspects of the environment

– May cause trace element problems in the air, water, and land (Hg in Fla)

Future Uses of Coal

• Problems:– Efficient transport to consumer– Lack of on-site water for on-site processing– Solution(?)

• Pipeline vs. train

• Clean Coal Technology– Improved Fluid Bed Combustors– Improved Coal Cleaning Technology– Better and Cheaper Derivative Products

• Hydrogen• Synthetic natural gas

Future Uses of Coal

• Coal Waste to Diesel Fuel (Sept.,2005)– Nation's First Waste Coal-to-Diesel Plant -- Set

to Be Built in Pennsylvania 2006• Will Produce Cheaper, Cleaner Fuel• State Creates Consortium to Purchase 40 Million

Gallons of Fuel; DoD Official Joins Governor • To be built by Waste Management and Processors

Inc. (WMPI) of Gilberton + State of Pennsylvania + Dept of Energy + Dept of Defense

• Several additional sites compatible with technology could produce as much or more fuel than this site