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While many had thought that coal power was a thing of the past, coal power has begun to spread rapidly throughout the country.
Plans for over 150 large-scale coal-fired power plants are moving forward across the country. For the last 20 years, there have been only a handful of coal plants built or considered. Natural gas became the fuel of choice during most of the 1980s and 1990s. Electricity powered by natural gas was cleaner and less expensive to build and operate.
To achieve economy of scale, coal-fired plants have to be built in large power generation increments, usually 500 MW or more, with an investment approaching $ 1 billion. On the other hand, natural gas plants are scalable, meaning that smaller increments of power generation can be added as demand dictates. Also, much like a stove, they can be turned up or down to fit the power needs of the community on a daily basis.
But despite drilling many wells being drilled, the gap between supply and demand has simply driven the price of natural gas up. Now there is a rush to build more coal plants without regard to the future costs of coal, its transportation, and the huge costs to the community from air pollution and increased global warming pollution. Coal-fired power plants are responsible for nearly one third of the green house gas produced annually by the United States.
Environment Colorado is working hard to insure that clean energy solutions are considered before turning to coal and other polluting energy sources. Utilizing energy efficiency programs, wind, and solar alternatives assures us of a stable fuel supply with no negative future cost implications.
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