The Black Gold

Coal was used in the U.S. for over 150 years for many things to such as powering factories to heating homes. Back when Obama was president the word "coal" became a dirty word. There was a major push to shut down all coal-fired plant for generating electricity. Wyoming is the #1 state for coal mining. In Wyoming, a few coal companies went out of business because of the push to close down coal operated plants. Less coal use pushed Wyoming into an economic depression. I saw a (seemingly) clean looking coal-fired electricity generating plant in Platte County, WY have to close down because people said, "Obama didn't like it. He had a few people find some particles in the air around it." People who worked in the plant lost their jobs in an already economically depressed county.

I worked in a school that was probably the only school in Wyoming that was still heated by a coal furnace. I saw the small amounts of ash generated by the coal furnace for the entire school and even saved a "clinker," which is a piece of hardened impurity from the coal that could not be burned. Why is "coal" a dirty word? It's because of its carbon emissions. I was surprised that coal is actually very cheap for generating electricity. Even more surprisingly HALF the electricity in the U.S. is generated from coal burning generating plants.

Energy transitions take time because the technology and plants to transition to another whole system have to be made. The distribution system for the new source of energy has to be developed too. Also, people have to get used to using the new source of energy. In the U.S. people are wary about using nuclear power. I have seen protesters in California outside a small nuclear power generating plant.