Coal May Be the Energy Of the Future

Coal is the highest carbon-emitting fossil fuel, but there are indications that it may be gaining in popularity as a potential solution to climate change. Some people have noticed that coal’s ills have been overstated and its benefits underplayed. With advances in technology, some say coal could be the energy of the future.

Nevertheless, clean coal is often cited as an effective way to reduce emissions and preserve our natural resources because technologies like carbon capture below ground can eliminate most if not all sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter from power plant emissions. The industry also points out that mining jobs are better paid than those in other sectors of the economy. And coal-fired power plants can provide reliable, base-load power.

Negative Emissions Technology (NET) is being developed as a means to remove carbon from the atmosphere and permanently store it in long term storage. It will be possible to use Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) with NET. Carbon dioxide can be captured by pumping it into oil wells or deep saline aquifers where it would remain permanently isolated from the atmosphere. [END ARTICLE]

Source: Clean Sources : Coal May Be the Energy Of the Future

Title: World Coal Production Up 4.4% In 2014

Coal production rose 4.4% in 2014, according to data published by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Global coal production in 2014 was the highest since 2012, at 31.7 billion short tons (bst), with most of the added supply coming from China, according to EIA’s International Energy Outlook 2015 (IEO2015). China accounted for 30.3 bst of global coal production in 2014, an increase of 5.9% compared with 2013.

The top five countries by coal output were China, U.S., India, Russia and Germany, which accounted for two-thirds of global production growth in 2014.

Source: World Coal Production Up 4.4% In 2014

Title: World Coal Use Falls 8% In 2014

World coal use fell by 8% in 2014, compared with 2013 levels, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). “Coal demand growth in China and internationally has significantly slowed,” IEA said. “The industrial sector continues to be the main source of growth.”

Data released by the IEA show a drop of 8% in global coal use for 2014 compared with the previous year, which is about half of coal’s annual increase between 2011 and 2013.

Source: World Coal Use Falls 8% In 2014

Title: Tracking China’s Newest Coal Power Plants

China’s decision to deploy massive new coal-fired power plants, including some that burn liquefied natural gas (LNG), is not just a matter of dirtier energy. It could also pave the way for more dramatic changes in the coal industry, according to analysts at the The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. Companies like Peabody Energy (BTU), Arch Coal (ACI) and Alpha Natural Resources (ANR) have already seen their shares plunge in anticipation of declining demand from China.

The new coal plants are larger and much more efficient than their predecessors, and some can run on either coal or natural gas. Although these so-called supercritical units still burn more carbon than natural gas plants, they are considered a big cut above China’s older coal-fired generators because they release less pollution.

Source: Tracking China’s Newest Coal Power Plants

Title: World Carbon Emissions Fall In 2014 As Coal Use Drops To Lowest Level Since 1995

World carbon emissions fell slightly in 2014, reversing the steady upward march of the past decade and reaching their lowest level since 1995, according to figures published by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

In its closely watched annual analysis of global energy trends, the IEA writes that recent dips in coal consumption are likely to be “more than just a ‘negligible’ one-year pause in its relentless climb,” and it heralds the beginning of “a major swing factor in global emissions.”

The IEA attributes this shift to a “combination of policies targeting carbon emissions and renewable energy deployment, structural change and an improvement in the fuel mix inside the power sector.” It adds that this is part of a broader transition away from coal toward lower-carbon sources like natural gas, nuclear energy, hydropower and renewables.

Source: World Carbon Emissions Fall In 2014 As Coal Use Drops To Lowest Level Since 1995

Title: U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions Decreased 2.6% in 2014

U.S. total energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions decreased by 2.6% in 2014, according to preliminary estimates from the U.S Energy Information Administration (EIA), as coal consumption fell by 12% and natural gas consumption increased by 5%, more than offsetting a 5% increase in petroleum consumption and a 1% increase in carbon emissions from other energy sources, such as nuclear, hydroelectricity and renewables (excluding biofuels). From 2005 through 2013, U.S. total energy-related CO2 emissions increased by 16%.

Source: U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions Decreased 2.6% in 2014

Title: Coal’s Impact on Global Climate Not As Strong As Feared, IEA Says

World carbon dioxide emissions from coal use in 2014 were 23% higher than in 1990 and caused a rise of 4 billion tonnes of carbon that is about 0.8°C warmer than 1990, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). …the reason for the increase may be that China switched from using coal as a fuel for its steel industry to using it for electricity generation.

Source: Coal’s Impact on Global Climate Not As Strong As Feared, IEA Says

Title: World Carbon Emissions Rose 2.3% In 2014 – IEA

World energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose by 2.3% in 2014 to reach a record high of 33.5 billion tonnes, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). …despite progress in bringing down emissions in some countries, they increased significantly in the United States and China, by 1.2% and 7%, respectively…. “China remains the largest contributor to the growth of global CO2 emissions at 30%, followed by the US (14%) and India (9%).

Conclusion: Coal Is Declining Globally, But Not In The U.S.

The available data, as well as numerous expert opinions, suggest that coal use is declining globally while it is increasing in the U.S. The evidence seems to be stacked against claims that what’s bad for the U.S. economy is good for the world’s climate, contrary to President Obama’s logic and Kerry’s conclusion that “one of them [the new coal plants] could be China, or could be somewhere else supplying power to China [and] you’re going to lose that investment at home because it will be so much cheaper overseas.