Coal Power Online

Samuel Martin asked:


Electricity is a crucial part of American life. In fact, it is a $200 billion a year commodity, making it the largest commodity in the United States.

When the prices for large commodities, like electricity, stay low or go down, inflation stays low. So, commodity price fluctuations prove to be strong economic indicators.

The lower electric rates from low coal prices can affect inflation rates now and in the future. And low interest rates can help protect the savings and investments of millions of Americans.

In addition, new technology is linked to electricity usage and thus the economy. The increasing purchase and use of technological advances, like computers, cell phones and personal data organizers, greatly increases consumption of electricity from coal. Therefore, when consumers purchase these items, they drive the economy in two ways: with their purchase and with their electricity usage.

America’s need for electricity from coal can also be seen in the almost direct relationship between electricity use and economic activity. For example, every 1 percent increase in the gross domestic product has caused about a 1 percent increase in electricity demand.

In addition to electricity, coal affects the economy through job creation, revenue and taxes. The coal industry and related business have created more than 90,000 jobs in the United States alone and almost 1 million jobs worldwide.

Thirty-seven billion dollars, or nearly 1 percent of all the earnings of Americans, comes from coal-related work.

The value of coal produced in the United States each year is nearly $18 billion. Coal mining has a combined direct and indirect impact of $161 billion annually on the U.S. economy. This is $596 for every U.S. citizen.

California and New York are two of the states benefiting most from coal, yet they are not home to any coal mining. In fact, every U.S. state benefits economically from coal.

Coal businesses pay more than $11 billion in federal taxes each year. Nine billion dollars in coal revenues go to state and local governments annually.

Steve Hanson asked:


Experts have been attempting to harness the power of the wave since the late 19th century. As the wind passes over the ocean, it produces waves. There is a direct correlation between the power of the wind and the power of the wave.

Wave energy is produced when electricity generators are placed on the surface of the ocean. The energy provided is most often used in desalination plants, power plants and water pumps. Energy output is determined by wave height, wave speed, wavelength, and water density. To date there are only a handful of experimental wave generator plants in operation around the world.

The Aguadora Wave Park (AWP) in Portugal is the worlds first commercial wave farm. The AWP produces roughly 2.25 Mega-Watts of power (enough for 1500 homes) and cost just over 8.5 million euros to deploy (though by 2009 costs are expected to exceed 70 million euros).

Construction and Maintenance

Most turbines require a constant, powerful flow which works in opposition to the very nature of waves, as waves are inconsistent in both direction and power. Powerful storms and the corrosive power of salt water are also adversarial to the construction of a reliable energy collection device. Accounting for the aforementioned problems, a device and its maintenance may become too expensive to be a reliable alternative to coal, oil, biodiesel or even solar power.

Harnessing the Waves

Wave energy collection is, however, remarkably passive. Unlike oil which requires a distillation process before energy can be used, wave energy is automatically converted by turbines. Wave energy is also environmentally friendly, as it creates no atmospheric pollution and has a small carbon footprint (non-existent if not for the manufacture of its devices). More-so, it allows us to utilize a space which has, for most of history, been underutilized: the ocean.

The flowing waters in the rivers and tidal waves can be a good source of alternative energy. With 70% of the earth’s surface covered with water, a great amount of energy can be produced by placing turbines at strategic locations under strong currents. This method of generating electric power is called hydrokinetic power generation.

The Future of Wave Power

According to Trey Taylor Co founder & president of Verdant Power, 4 commercial projects are planned for the next 3-5 years which should have the capacity to produce more than 200 MW when operating in waterways. As great minds continue to tackle the problems of renewable energy, we may see major advancements making wave energy more feasible. Groups such as OREC (Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition), continue to drum up support for projects, but it seems policy makers are a bit uncertain of wave energy’s true benefits.

For now we should focus on implementing wind power and solar power strategies to replace our dependence on oil. It may seem like a panacea on paper, but the reality exposes the truth, wave power is just not ready for wide-scale commercial use yet.

pntglobal asked:


According to Pakistan Economy Watch the coal deposits in Thar can change the fate of the country if utilized in a proper way. It can save oil import bill, reduce unemployment and help strengthen economy, rupee and FOREX stocks.

Dr Murtaza Mughal president of Pakistan Economy Watch in a statement said that 185 billion tunes of coal worth USD 25 trillion can not only cater the electricity requirements of the country for next 100 years but also save almost four billion dollars in staggering oil import bill.

He said that “The project which is in limbo since a decade can help thousands of households by providing employment and help save oil import bill by USD 4-4.50 billion and help FOREX reserves to swell. It will also stabilize sliding rupee. He added that this project has already become bone of contention between the centre and Sindh province and uncertainty looms, adding that the statements of Political leader regarding the arrival of Taliban in Karachi could pose a serious threat to this project.

Mr. Murtaza said the coal power generation would cost Pakistan PKR 5.67 per unit while power generated by Independent Power Projects cost PKR 9.27. He said that “There is a remarkable difference that will certainly life economy of the country and will provide a break to poor. He said that the German, Chinese and other companies had not only carried out surveys and feasibilities of this project but also offered 100 percent investment in last 7 to 8 years but the petroleum barons always discouraged them in a very systematic way.

He demanded a probe into the matter as some elements deprived people of Pakistan from cheap source of energy for too long in their own interest. He said that petroleum lobby is very strong in Pakistan and they are against any other means of power generation except for the imported oil. This lobby is major beneficiary of the increasing oil bill that is estimated above 15 billion dollar this year.

May be I m wrong…

But Russia also has one of the largest Coal reservoirs but because of two reasons these had not been feasible for use, Coal is not environment free/friendly (Sulphur) as compared to Oil/Gas and its economic runs was also not as good as Oil/Gas during the times when Oil rates were low.

I believe now the world is looking towards this source of energy.

www.SuperSitePakistan.com

Jesse Francis asked:


 

We call it paradise and “No Ka Oi” (the best) but behind Maui’s pristine beaches and tropical waterfalls lies a polluted history of energy production that to this day exaggerates the unhealthy and wasteful ways of our country’s industrial past. While much of the U.S. has cleaned up with green laws and initiatives, Maui lingers in a world of burning coal, diesel andbagasse. Even though Maui has fallen behind in greening its act, it may become an economic proving ground for clean energy.

An early adopter of electricity, Maui had its first electric lights powered by burning bagasse (the solid waste remains of burnt sugar cane) in 1881. The lights were used to help the Spreckels mill increase nightly production. The majority of Maui’s energy supply now comes from burning diesel. This puts residents and visitors wallets hostage to the cost of crude. The cost of energy on Maui is the highest in the nation. Businesses transfer this cost on to goods and services.

With state and federal initiatives and laws and under pressure from the community Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) is striving to create renewable sources of power. HECO is advertising with more than one million to increase public support for alternate energy in the islands.

The Current State of Wind.

First Wind’s Kahea Wind project installed on the South West side of the West Maui Mountains has been producing 30Mega Watts since June of 2006. According to First Wind’s website, “the 20 GE 1.5 megawatt turbines generate enough clean, non-polluting power to meet 9% of Maui’s total electricity needs during peak hours and up to 30% during non-peak hours.”Kahea Wind is actively seeking to double the number of towers and energy output of their farm.

Shell WindEnergy and Ulupalakua Ranch announced jointly on June 30, 2006 that they planned to install a 40 megawatt wind farm in Ulupalakua Maui which is on the South West Slope of Haleakala. If the same formula used for Kahea Wind holds this would produce 12% of Maui’s total peak requirements and 40% during non-peak hours. In May of 2008 Rob Parsons reported in Maui Time Weekly that ShellWindEnergy had scaled back its plans to produce only 20 megawatts, is considering battery storage to prevent fluctuating input to the Islands grid and is in the process of drafting the Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) required to move forward.

Tapping in to Hydroelectric.



An Australian company named Oceanlinx is moving forward with a project to harness a mere 2.7 Megawatts of energy by installing floating generators off the North Shore.

In March 2008 Oceanlinx hired Planning Solutions to draft an EIS that is expected to be finished in 2009. The turbines would use air pressure generated by wave swells pushing into a semi submersed chamber.

Makila Hydro, LLC Makila Hydro, LLC was formed in 2001. It has restored a generator at the Pioneer Mill in Lahaina that was originally constructed in 1914. The plant has has been pushing a half a megawatt into Maui’s energy grid since September 2006.

Other prospects for ocean energy include tidal power, Auau channel turbines that run deep between Maui and Lanai, and Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC). Difficulties with deep ocean power plants include the protection of sea life and keeping the generators free of accumulated debris.

Plugging in to the Solar Source.

Despite advances in Solar Power, cost still outweighs benefits. There are researchers trying to change that and some innovators in the field on Maui are finding ways to skirt the high costs.

Solar thermal energy production employs a rooftop system made to heat water. By heating water with solar energy, households can expect large reductions in monthly energy use, (from 15% - 25%). The State of Hawaii, The U.S. Government and Maui Electric, a branch of HECO , all offer incentives for these energy saving installations. There are state and federal income tax credits and no interest loans available.

The photovoltaic method of energy production employs cells that turn light into electricity. These are the cells you find on your solar powered calculator. The high cost of these cells has remained the main obstacle for solar power but with some unique business models photovoltaic energy is inching forward.

Although Maui has a very long way to go to achieve energy sustainability, the greening of paradise continues. I for one look forward to an island that can live up to its sparkling reputation.

If your coming to experience the “No Ka Oi” of Hawaii, consider these affordable Maui Condos to provide a balance of luxury and cost.

Mick Madigan asked:


Who in their right mind would consider a Coal-To-Liquid Technology(CTL) investment when we have plenty of oil supplies? You should. Because we dont.

Yes, oil prices are high. But crude production has peaked. Output in all major fields is fixed, or is declining. New oil fields are smaller and harder to get at, and extraction techniques are getting more difficult and expensive. Energy demand around the world is rocketting. Oil prices are rising steeply. Increasing political unrest means uncertain supplies, and the markets **** uncertainty.

That suggests oil substitute fuels like liquid coal will be needed soon. The obvious oil substitutes-liquid natural gas, oil sands, biofuels, fuel cells, renewable sources and nuclear power can’t meeting total demand at a reasonable cost for the next decade at least.

What is likely to be the solution? Large supplies of coal. Combined with a long-used proven technology which can convert coal into a clean pumpable liquid with low burnoff emissions- CTL. Both are now readily available at competitive costs.

There are vast available coal deposits in the USA, China, India ,Canada, and Australia, allowing enough liquid coal for scores, maybe hundreds of years, even if demand accelerates.

Note that the Middle East has declining oil and virtually no coal.

Once oil prices rise above $35 a barrel, coal-to-liquid technology providing liquid coal at $20-$30/barrel begins looking very attractive as an oil alternative. Presently oil prices remain above $60, show no sign of descending and could peak at $100-$150 a barrel - IF available from anywhere. This would potentially lead to gasoline at $8/gallon at US pumps and widespread recession.

Other technologies such as coal gasification and gas-to-liquids (GTL) are currently cheaper than coal liquefaction and so some companies afraid of a downturn in oil prices and seeking the best current investment returns may be tempted by those instead.

However China and the US-now the two major powerhouses of world industry-are likely to opt for liquid coal on the basis of huge cheap domestic supplies and the incentive of non reliance of volatile outside markets.

China is an fast awaking industrial giant. They need vast amounts of energy badly for electricity for factories homes and schools, have little oil but lots of coal. Trouble is, the coal is in the north, and industrial developments in the south, China is huge and the roads and railways are presently poor.

It’s hard to transport solid coal then burn it and create lots of pollution, but much easier and ultimately cheaper to pump clean liquid coal by pipeline.

The government there doesn’t argue or debate issues with the public-with collaboration with Royal Dutch Shell, they have already started to build a liquid coal plant in the Ningxia region, with three more on the way.

Also, consider the car. Demand is growing worldwide. But so are demands for cleaner more efficient vehicles. Liquid coal can be used to make both gasoline or diesel fuel. But the most ecofriendly efficient car of the near future probably WON’T be a electric-gasoline hybrid but an electric-diesel hybrid. This will have similar refinement and performance but far better overall miles per gallon, lower emissions.

Also note that China and India plan to break into the car production market and will be in a powerful position to provide cheap clean fuel-efficient cars to their own vast markets and overseas.

Extra pressure on car manufacturers (dependent on crude oil and suffering from high production costs) and already hovering on the brink of bankruptcy in the US? Or to switch production heavily towards hybrids?

Liquid coal - way to go!

Present coal plants can’t and wont use oil for a fuel- burn profile is wrong and way too expensive. However any existing coal plant that presently burns coal will be able to burn liquid coal too. Efficient, kinder to the environment, no sulfur, mercury or ash AND less smells dust and fumes.

Expect politicians to push CTL and give it an easy tax ride for the same reasons they are presently favoring biofuels like ethanol:

(1) there’s the lure of a vote winning rural job-creation side from an industry otherwise viewed as declining.

(2) Many Western voters and investors are getting worried about the security implications of depending on their energy supplies from increasingly unfriendly or unstable nations.

(3) Many environmentalists, given the right conditions (e.g. high carbon capture at CTL plants, alternatives like nuclear energy), are likely to warm to CTL because of its overall cleaner profile.

Many firms are already investing in CTL. Forget oil and other oil substitutes for the moment. Look into it now if you are interested, and look for CTL specialists like Headwaters, Syntroleum Corp, and Rentech, and particuliarly, the highly experienced South African company, Sasol.

Dylan Sun asked:


Power-station coal prices at Australia’s Newcastle port rose for a second week and may extend gains on concern that plans to cut loading quotas in the fourth quarter may worsen shortages. Coal for immediate delivery at the world’s largest export- harbor for the fuel in New South Wales state rose 47 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $67.42 a metric ton in the week ended Sept. 21, according to the globalCOAL NEWC Index. Australian producers using Newcastle will have loading quotas trimmed in the fourth quarter to reduce vessel lines, a terminal official said. “If there are further cutbacks the market would not have taken that into account,” said Gavin Wendt, senior resources analyst at Fat Prophets in Sydney. “There’s only one way that coal prices would go and that’s upwards.”

Insufficient port and rail facilities are preventing Rio Tinto Plc, BHP Billiton Ltd. and Xstrata Plc from meeting increased demand for Australian coal. Almost 90 percent of the coal shipped through Newcastle last year was thermal coal produced in the Hunter Valley. The mining companies agreed in February to reintroduce the quota system to help reduce waiting times for ships and cut demurrage costs.

The companies will be asked to make voluntary cuts, failing which the reductions will be imposed based on their current allocations, Graham Davidson, general manager of Port Waratah Coal Services Ltd., said by phone today. He wouldn’t give details. “The cuts will be at a bad time for the Asia-Pacific market as a lot of consumers are ready to re-stock for the winter season,” said Gerard Burg, minerals and energy economist at National Australia Bank Ltd. “It’s a difficult time and will affect sentiment in the market and possibly consumers will move forward in their ordering to ensure supplies.”

The number of ships waiting to load coal at Newcastle fell to 44 as of this morning from 50 a week ago, Newcastle Port Corp. said on its Web Site. The coal carriers waited an average of 18.6 days to load, compared with 11 hours for general cargo.

A total of 1.52 million of coal was shipped in the week ended today, less than the 1.54 million tons a week earlier, Newcastle Port said. Seventeen ships with coal departed the port in the week ended Sept. 22, down from 21 a week earlier, the port said in a separate statement. Twelve headed to Japan, two each to Taiwan and Korea, and one to India.Japan and South Korea are boosting purchases from alternative suppliers after China cut shipments and became a net importer for the first time.

climatelife asked:

Eco-village lives carbon neutral (02:13) ———

Aug 7 - Climate change campaigners set up their hamlet in Kent, southern England, trying to set an example in the shadow of a coal power station.

Much of the local news coverage of the week-long Climate Camp in Kent, southern England has centred on the relations between protesters and police.

Climate camp activists are planning a day of mass action against nearby Kingsnorth Power station on Saturday August 9th.

But what’s involved in setting up a low-carbon energy powered site for some 1,000 people in a field? Reuters Television paid a visit to the camp to find out.

Michelle Carlile-Alkhouri reports.

GreenpeaceAustralia asked:

Check out this new video by Greenpeace which features a song “It’s like paying someone to be a pr*ck”, written by The Chaser’s Andrew Hansen and recorded by a new group, the “Coaly Moleys”.

What would you do with $1.2 billion dollars? Give it to a big, greedy polluter or invest it in renewable energy?

Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, is planning to compensate coal power companies for the introduction of emissions trading and we have only six weeks to stop him!

http://www.greenpeace.org.au/yourcalloncoal

You can help the campaign by posting this video to your site, your facebook, and sending it on to your friends.

Steve Hanson asked:


There are over 400 nuclear power reactors that are up and running on the planet, and believe it or not, the number is growing. The whole process of converting uranium into nuclear power is complex, but it all starts off with a mining operation to extract uranium ore. Believe it or not, uranium is not hard to find, it is actually a pretty common element, more common than gold.

Many people don’t realize that our own body houses trace amounts of uranium! Canada’s actually taken advantage of this relatively abundant resource and is so far the number one uranium producer in the world.

Reasons to Avoid Nuclear Power

* Nuclear power is quite costly to manufacture, specifically considering start-up costs. Nuclear reactors are expensive to build. With that in mind, it’s not necessarily an option for all countries. Many 2nd and 3rd world countries do not have the economic or material resources to produce nuclear power.

* Another big problem is nuclear waste, which is left over from the conversion process, typically from using fuel. If nuclear waste isn’t safely disposed of, there can be a drastic number of health and environmental issues that arise as a result. This is perhaps the most important detractor from the popularity of nuclear power.

* The third serious issue baring the widespread adoption of nuclear power, is the potential of a nuclear power plant to melt down. One could argue it is dangerous to run nuclear power plants, simply because they could be tampered with.

If, for example, a terrorist organization was so inclined to sabotage nuclear power plants, portions of that country could become uninhabitable for hundreds of years. Nuclear meltdowns can also occur by accident, putting civilians in jeopardy on a constant basis.

Reasons to Use Nuclear Power

* One of the main benefits of using nuclear power in today’s economy, is that it decreases the need for foreign oil. By utilizing nuclear power plants to produce a portion of our electricity, we can make headway in our efforts to switch to alternative fuel sources before the oil supply dries up in a decade or so.

* Although nuclear power plants are costly to build, they are inexpensive to maintain. This cost efficiency is good news to taxpayers who, with the economic collapse of 2008, wish to reduce their taxes and their spending as much as possible in order to just pay the bills, never mind saving up for retirement.

* Nuclear power production is not limited by location. Unlike coal and oil, the conditions don’t have to be ‘just right’ to gather natural resources and produce power. Uranium can be mined from all over the world and shipped to any local nuclear power plant. The terrain and weather conditions just don’t play a factor.

* Carbon emissions are drastically reduced because carbon waste is not a by-product of a nuclear reaction. Compared to coal, nuclear power is a cheap, sustainable, efficient, and clean power source; as long as we can find an efficient way to dispose of barrels of nuclear waste.

The Future of Nuclear Power

The future for nuclear power appears to be a quiet but strong one. Although there are some areas of the world strongly adverse to nuclear power, the United States continues to expand development. In general, quick growth isn’t a possibility, as building costs and time-frames are enormous.

Countries like China, India, and Japan are all developing nuclear power, but until it becomes cheaper to construct the reactors, nuclear power won’t become as mainstream as its potential would suggest.

April Kerr asked:


With the TV news constantly reporting about melting ice caps and rising sea levels in the Seychelles, it makes many of us wonder what we can do to do “our bit” for the environment. One way is to become as energy self-sufficient as possible. Solar panels and wind turbines are just two option available to you. Although energy is used in the manufacture of these products, overall they cause very little in the way of pollution. Once they are installed they’ll keep producing energy indefinitely. Also because the energy comes from the sun and wind, you are not dependant on oil from politically unstable countries like Iraq and Nigeria.

Solar Energy - The energy from the sun’S rays are converted into energy when they hit the photovoltaic (PV) module. The PV responds to this by generating an electrical current which is carried into your home via wires and circuit breakers.

Wind Energy - This type of energy production is very different from solar however there are similarities to how they work. The propeller is spun round by the force of the wind. The propeller is attached to a shaft which is surrounded by a magnet wrapped by a coil of wire. The magnet either turns near the wire or the wire turns causing the force upon electrons. This forces the electrons along the wire which is how the electrical current is produced.

Sounds like the perfect solution to our energy requirements doesn’t it? Sun and wind cost nothing and will never run out. However it does cost a lot of money and there are some limitations to how they can be used.

Costs - Some people may argue that it doesn’t matter what these methods cost; the environment is more important than money. However unless you are a millionaire, cost are very important. The cost of production, transportation and installation all add up. Unfortunately at the moment the cost just doesn’t stack up compared to oil and coal.

Efficiency - Solar panels require energy from the sun so if they are installed on the equator, you’ll be able to achieve 1,00 watts per square meter of solar panel. Unfortunately if you live a considerable distance from the equator and experience many dull days, you’ll only get about 125-375 W/m2. Efficiency also needs to be factored in; you only get 10-15% efficiency depending on how it’s produced.

Despite the above, solar panels covering your roof can still generate enough power for your home. As long as you are careful about how you use electricity and don’t waste it by leaving electrical goods on all day when they aren’t being used.

Problems with Wind Power - Engineers have a tendency to think about wind farms from an engineering perspective. They don’t seem to think about how a wind farm will affect the local area - both visually and in terms of wildlife. Many of the windiest places are home to a huge variety of bird species. You can imagine the consequences if a bird were to fly into a turbine. It could quickly wipe out a whole flock.

Then if there is a drop in wind levels, the amount of energy produced is greatly hampered. The turbines also need to be linked up with a storage system and the energy produced is not as good as we would like.

In saying that, these types of energy production has to be a major part of our future energy production. We simply cannot keep going the way we are. Eventually oil is going to become so scarce that prices will be sky high and pollution levels will even worse than they are now. Technology is constantly advancing and efficiency levels are increasing and they are becoming more affordable. It many take many years however before they replace oil and coal.