if that doesn’t answer your questions, one of the links surely should

We may hit peak coal as early as 2015 or as late as 2090. When they do exploratory drilling and they hit a vein a bunch of geologic studies are done. Then they determine by the projected price of coal and what method is cheapest or most effective by the time the mine goes online and it has to be by a certain quality. Some places go underground and get about a mile into the face and then discover that it’s mostly crappy coal with mostly sulfur in it. If the sulfur content is too high a mine has a choice, build a washplant for the coal or abandon the whole idea altogether.

The dirtier the coal the lower the BTU’s and consequently the more the plant has to burn to reach desired boiler temps for driving the turbine/generators. This means exponentially higher emissions. Or what if they run into clean coal and well, there you go.

Now they will process the coal however they have to when the price for electricity is right. They could build a double washplant etc etc.

Here’s what you watch out for: let’s say in 15 years the electric rates go sky high because coal starts getting into short supply. They will go after the dirtiest coal last. Even if a minesite processes the coal and washes it etc etc, everything you do to coal lowers the BTU/lb. The lower the BTU’s of coal, the more the plant burns to keep load optimal. So around when peak coal actually happens, we’re going to be dumping twice the emissions we are now into the atmosphere and that’s if we stay at our present load. Do the math and see how demand will rise, and the power of exponents will frighten you.

We may hit peak coal as early as 2015 or as late as 2090. When they do exploratory drilling and they hit a vein a bunch of geologic studies are done. Then they determine by the projected price of coal and what method is cheapest or most effective by the time the mine goes online and it has to be by a certain quality. Some places go underground and get about a mile into the face and then discover that it’s mostly crappy coal with mostly sulfur in it. If the sulfur content is too high a mine has a choice, build a washplant for the coal or abandon the whole idea altogether.

The dirtier the coal the lower the BTU’s and consequently the more the plant has to burn to reach desired boiler temps for driving the turbine/generators. This means exponentially higher emissions. Or what if they run into clean coal and well, there you go.

Now they will process the coal however they have to when the price for electricity is right. They could build a double washplant etc etc.

Here’s what you watch out for: let’s say in 15 years the electric rates go sky high because coal starts getting into short supply. They will go after the dirtiest coal last. Even if a minesite processes the coal and washes it etc etc, everything you do to coal lowers the BTU/lb. The lower the BTU’s of coal, the more the plant burns to keep load optimal. So around when peak coal actually happens, we’re going to be dumping twice the emissions we are now into the atmosphere and that’s if we stay at our present load. Do the math and see how demand will rise, and the power of exponents will frighten you.

It could be the best thing that’s ever happened, energy-wise because it could force us to alternatives, like solar thermal (linked above), and this one:

http://gas2.org/2008/03/25/how-solar-panels-could-power-90-of-us-transportation/

It could be the best thing that’s ever happened, energy-wise because it could force us to alternatives, like solar thermal (linked above), and this one:

http://gas2.org/2008/03/25/how-solar-panels-could-power-90-of-us-transportation/