Appalachians have 66 billion tons of coal - study
Date: 02-Apr-02
Country: USA
The U.S. Geological Survey said data from more than 1,000 maps showed that about 66 billion short tons of coal remain in the Appalachian Basin Coal Region of the Eastern United States.
The basin, which is one of five major coal producing regions in the nation, includes portions of Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
It is estimated that a total of about 274 billion tons of coal are buried within the United States.
"The USGS analysis shows us the reserve base in the Appalachian region is sufficient to meet current and growing demands far into the future," Jack Gerard, president of the National Mining Association said in a statement.
The study also reported that more coal reserves could become available as advances are made in production and combustion technology.
Coal is already the largest source of fuel for power plants in the United States, accounting for about 50 percent of the total electricity generated each year, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said. The agency has estimated that the United States will consume about 22 percent more coal by 2020.
Coal has long been criticized by environmental groups for spewing tons of pollutants into the air that contribute to global warming. Coal emissions have been cut significantly during the last 30 years, and the Bush administration has earmarked millions of dollars to further reduce pollutants.
Earlier this month the Department of Energy released $330 million of $2 billion in funding budgeted over the next 10 years to encourage utilities to develop new clean coal technology.