1. Cost of Coal Lydia Mitchell Laura Erdman Section 005, Kendra Walker

2. Outline  Costs of Coal  Benefits of Coal  Analysis of Current Energy Use  Solar Energy  Geothermal Energy  Wind Energy  Cost Benefit Analysis and Alternatives in the Future

3. Costs of Coal  Non-renewable resource.  Burning coal increases carbon dioxide.  Environmental health (increasing sulfur, nitrogen oxide, and mercury).  Human health (particulate matter).  Unsafe mining.  “And we have little more than a century to develop adequate, practical, and inexpensive technologies to replace some of these sources” (Borowitz).

4. Benefits of Coal  Inexpensive and abundant.  Potential for development to become safer, an example being gasification.  Upgrading coal is more cost effective than going to an alternative source of energy.  Upgrading would also lower dependence on foreign oil.

5. Analysis of Current Energy Use U.S. Energy Consumption by Energy Source 2000 - 2004 In Quadrillion Btu Energy Source20002001200220032004 Fossil fuels84.96583.17684.0784.88986.186 Coal22.5821.95221.9822.71322.918 Coal Coke Net Imports0.0650.0290.0610.0510.138 Natural gas23.91622.86123.62823.06923 Petroleum38.40438.33338.40139.04740.13 Electricity Net Imports0.1150.0750.0780.0220.039 Nuclear Electric Power7.8628.0338.1437.9598.232 Renewable Energy6.1585.3285.8356.0826.117 Conventional Hydroelectric2.8112.2422.6892.8252.725 Geothermal Energy0.3170.3110.3280.3390.34 Biomass2.9072.6042.6482.742.845 Solar Energy0.0660.0650.064 0.063 Wind Energy0.0570.070.1050.1150.143 Total98.96196.46497.95298.714100.278 http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/geothermal/geothermal.html

6. Solar Energy  Photovoltaic cells.  Inexhaustible.  Minimal impact on the environment.  Low-maintenance.  Does not have good transmission and storage systems. http://www.oksolar.com/gallery/city.htm

7. Geothermal Energy  Uses heat from inside of the earth.  Earth must be drilled and pumped to remove heat.  Huge amount of energy. http://www.imaexploration.com/s/ValleDel Cura.asp

8. Wind Energy  Renewable energy.  Form of solar energy.  Costs lowering.  Wind farms.  May negatively effect habitats and are considered ugly. http://www.cogreenpower.org/ http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/energ y/nn/nn_rt/nn_rt_wind/images

9. Cost Benefit Analysis and Alternatives in the Future  Theories on cost benefit analysis.  Change in coal infrastructure.  Change to alternative energies.  Public Influence.  Government Action.  Drivers of Change.