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The US coal sector is receiving a big boost as major utilities consider coal as the most economic feedstock for new power plants.
Author: John Chadwick
Posted:  Wednesday , 02 May 2007

LONDON -

A newly released US Department of Energy report shows that many power producers are turning to coal as the most economic and abundant national resource for electricity generation. The report, titled Tracking New Coal-Fired Power Plants, was developed by the Office of Fossil Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to provide a snapshot of coal's resurgence in the generation of electric power. Highlights from the report include the following:

   * 145 GW of new coal-capacity are projected to be needed by 2030 according to the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration.
   * 90 GW of new coal-fired power plants are under consideration or have recently become operational.

If built, the plants will be critical in helping to meet future electricity demand in the USA. The new and proposed plants would theoretically produce enough electricity to power 90 million homes.

Coal remains vital to US energy security. Providing more than 50% of its electricity, coal is an abundant, domestic energy source with more than a 250-year supply at current use rates. America's coal reserves, estimated at 272,000 Mt, contain more energy potential than all of the oil in the Middle East.