A Small Bit Of Good News About Energy

The coal industry has been running some rather disingenuous television ads recently that tout "clean coal" energy. But anyone with even a small bit of knowledge about energy knows that there is no such thing as "clean coal". Coal is the dirtiest of all the fossil fuels, and when burned produces more particulate matter and other pollutants (including the greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change). And while the newest coal-powered energy plants pollute less than older coal-powered plants, they still produce an unacceptable level of pollution.

But here in the United States, we have a huge supply of coal and it is very cheap. For that reason, the United States still produces a large amount of the electricity generated by burning coal (and both the coal and electric industries are spending tons of money to make sure that doesn't change). They put their corporate profits before both the public's health and the preservation of the environment.

But there is a little bit of good news on this front. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is reporting that the generation of electricity by burning coal is down this year. In the first quarter of 2011, about 44.6% of electricity generated was from the burning of coal. In the first Quarter of 2012, that has dropped to about 36%. That's a 19.3% drop in coal generation. It represents an 8.6% drop in coal generation's portion of total electric production (a figure that EIA expects to grow to about 14% by the end of 2012).

The major reason for this is the reduction in price for natural gas. The portion of total electric production done by burning natural gas has increased by nearly the amount coal generation has decreased. Natural gas is not a completely clean electricity producer, but it is much cleaner than coal and will result in less total pollution. Taking old coal plants off line and increased use of renewable sources of energy are also contributing to less coal generation. Here is how Think Progress sums up this situation:

The U.S. coal industry is facing major headwinds. The current drop in generation is mostly due to competition from natural gas. But there are other factors that will assist in pushing coal out of the electricity mix: An aging fleet of plants, cost-competitive renewables, new clean air regulations, and a strong anti-coal movement are working together to reduce the attractiveness of coal. Since 2010, plant operators have announced 106 retirements of coal facilities — representing 13 percent of the U.S. fleet, according to the Sierra Club.

The continued decline in domestic coal generation is good news for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions from the fossil fuel sector are expected to decline by almost 3 percent this year — continuing the 1.9 percent decrease seen in 2011. Emissions from natural gas will rise by 5.5 percent, while emissions from coal will fall by almost 12 percent.