Coal emits plenty pollutants when burned - including the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. There's also pollution and climate change to consider. Between 20, electric utilities retired 145 generators, with an average age of 55 years old. For one, a glut of cheap natural gas from fracking operations has steadily eroded coal's share and forced power-plant operators to close many of their older, less efficient plants. In 2012, there were 557 coal plants in the United States, generating about 37 percent of the nation's electricity - the biggest single source of power.Ĭoal has also fallen out of favor in recent yearsīut coal has also fallen out of favor in recent years. This map shows every coal plant in the contiguous United States: 1) Coal still provides 37% of electricity - but it's dropping fast Want to see what America's energy infrastructure looks like - all those power plants and coal mines and oil wells and transmission lines? The Energy Information Administration just released a new new mapping tool laying it all out.īelow I've pulled out 11 maps of interest, but you can customize the maps in any way you want (or zoom in to see state-level details or look at individual congressional districts).
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