3. Coal
Key facts
• Coal provides nearly 60% of electricity and 25% of total energy in the United States today.
• There are 476 coal-fired power plants in the United States. Advocates propose about 150 more, some of which are in construction; others have been approved by the government.
• Coal use is increasing rapidly around the world and reaches a new record high each year in the United States.
• China is rapidly building more coal-fired power plants and may soon catch up with the United States in both the amount of electric power produced from coal and the amount of CO2 released in the process.
• At current and projected rates of use, coal reserves will last another 150 to 300 years.
• Coal, along with nuclear power, is the dirtiest form ...
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