Introduction

2. 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

3. 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 (100-300C)

4. 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

5. 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

6. Geology of Coal • Classification • Rank • Carbon content • Sulfur • Confusion • Bituminous vs. anthracite

7. Distribution of Coal • Classified by sulfur content • West of the Mississippi • East of the Mississippi

8. Coal Resources

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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)

12. 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

13. 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