Coal Myths
It’s time to set the record straight about coal and to start talking about the incredible benefits it brings to our world every day.
Coal doesn’t bring any benefits to society today.
Not So Fast
Coal is one of the most abundant sources of electricity worldwide. [1] Deprived of coal as a major source of affordable electricity, developing countries will struggle to rise out of poverty and improve their quality of life. [2]
Coal remains the largest source of electricity worldwide, accounting for 35% of the world’s total power supply in 2022. [3] With an estimated 774 million [4] people in the world still without access to electricity, the need for abundant, affordable coal remains self-evident.
Coal is arguably the single most important natural resource responsible for the creation of modern civilization and all the prosperity we enjoy today. Our ability to discover, harness, store, and deliver affordable energy on-demand has been the primary driver of human progress over the last 250 years. In large part, thanks to coal. [5][6]
774 millionEstimated number of people in the world still without access to electricitySource: IEA: World Energy Outlook 2022 (Page 164)
There are no risks associated with transitioning to renewable energy in the United States.
Not So Fast
The risks are substantial, especially if we transition too fast. Fossil fuel power plants are retiring much faster than new dispatchable, reliable sources are being developed. [7] This could lead to energy supply shortages, even rolling blackouts. Coupled with increasing demand associated with electrification, resource estimates suggest that America’s bulk power system could be facing energy shortfalls – as soon as this year. [8]
A renewable energy economy will require a substantial infrastructure, including power lines, charging stations, wind turbines, solar panels, battery storage, supply chain channels, and massive disruptions to land-use priorities. [9][10][11] Transitioning too quickly to renewables without any consideration for the long-term consequences could produce serious and unintended outcomes. [12]
10xCertain estimates project that renewable power requires at least ten times more land area than fossil fuels per unit of power producedSource: Samantha Gross, Brookings Institute: Renewables, Land Use, and Local Opposition in the United States (Page 3)
To meet the U.S. administration’s goals of a carbon-free power grid by 2035 and a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050, the wind energy industry would need to increase the rate at which it builds new wind energy plants by 5 to 10 times. [13]
Our energy independence as a country could be at risk. Increasing our reliance on renewable energy means an increased reliance on imported materials and minerals needed to manufacture wind turbines, batteries, solar panels, and other infrastructure. Many of these imports will come from countries that don’t share our environmental and human rights standards. [14][15][16][17][18][19]
Did you know that achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 will require far more than reducing our reliance on fossil fuels? Scenarios modeling this aspirational goal call for alarming changes to our freedoms and lifestyles, such as higher energy prices, [20] travel restrictions, ridesharing in urban areas, lower speed limits, and regulating thermostats. [21][22][23][24][25]
Seven out of ten Americans are concerned that the speed of the transition to variable sources of power, like renewables, is coming at the cost of grid reliability.[26] In a Pew Research poll, 62% of moderate and conservative respondents and 51% of Democrats said the country should use a mix of fossil fuel and renewable energy sources. [27]
70%Percentage of Americans concerned that the speed of the transition to variable sources of power, like renewables, is coming at the cost of grid reliabilitySource: NMA: Americans Concerned About Grid Reliability, Urge Caution in the Transition
We should replace all fossil fuels with renewable energy immediately.
Not So Fast
Due to their unpredictable nature, wind and solar power are unlikely to become the reliable and “always available” energy sources required for modern life any time soon. [28][29]
In times of high energy demand such as periods of extreme weather, renewables like wind and solar are intermittent and unreliable forms of power, especially compared to storable and dispatchable energy sources like coal that can quickly adjust to fluctuating demand. [30][31] Extreme weather in February of 2021 paralyzed much of Texas with freezing cold and clearly demonstrated the vital role coal can play as a dependable and dispatchable form of energy. [32]
Renewable energy technologies are carbon-free.
Not So Fast
To build the massive infrastructure needed for renewable power generation, a substantial amount of materials and energy will be required. For example, one megawatt of onshore wind capacity requires hundreds of tons of steel and concrete, which requires hundreds of tons of coal to produce. [33] [34] [35] Today, the technologies needed to decarbonize these processes are still in the early stages of demonstration, so coal will play an important role in expanding the electric grid for the future. [36]
100+Metric TonsAmount of coal needed to generate one megawatt of power with onshore wind turbinesSources: U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Renewable Energy Materials Properties Database: Summary (August 2023) (Figure 3, page 8)
Gulhan Ozbayoglu, Comprehensive Energy Systems: Energy Production From Coal, doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-809597-3.00341-2
Gulhan Ozbayoglu, Comprehensive Energy Systems: Energy Production From Coal, doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-809597-3.00341-2
There’s no reason we should be using fossil fuels today or in the future.
Not So Fast
Look around your home and workplace—most manufactured products we touch in our everyday lives are created with derivatives of fossil fuels, such as coal. Steel, cement, certain medicines, water filtration, fertilizers, and many other products we take for granted often rely on coal at some point in the manufacturing process. [37][38]
In a single year, the average person in the United States uses nearly 3000 pounds of coal, or 235,000 pounds over an average lifetime. [39]
3000PoundsAmount of coal the average person in the United States uses every yearSource: Minerals Education Coalition: Mineral Usage Statistics
Historically, coal has been a vital element in the making of steel and cement, two of the most impactful and prevalent construction materials in the world. Therefore, much of our modern-day infrastructure, such as roadways, buildings, bridges, sewers, railroads, cell towers, dams, and aqueducts, was created using coal. [40] [41]
Coal mining is a dirty, obsolete, and unsafe industry.
Not So Fast
The demand for coal is growing. In fact, global demand reached an all-time high in 2022 and is expected to grow in 2023. [42]
Life expectancy, educational attainment, and income all correlate with per capita electricity use, [43] and more of the world’s electricity is fueled by coal than any other source. [44]
The coal mining industry employs engineers, geologists, and a variety of technical specialists. The average total annual salary for an underground bituminous coal miner in Pennsylvania is over $104,000. [45]
Since 1978, more than 2.8 million acres of land have been restored by the U.S. mining industry. [46]
2.8Million AcresAmount of land restored by the U.S. mining industry since 1978Source: National Mining Association: Reclamation
Fossil fuels, such as coal, will continue to play a critical role in the ongoing transition to more sustainable forms of energy. We see a future where renewable energy sources work together with advanced, abated coal technologies to provide society with clean, dependable, and diverse power sources without jeopardizing either our climate or our energy needs. [47] [48] [49]
As the energy industry continues to invest in renewable sources of power, the use of fossil fuels dramatically drops.
Not So Fast
Over the last 20 years, after investing trillions of dollars globally into renewable energy efforts, the world has realized only a 2% reduction in fossil fuel use, from approximately 86% to 84%, as a percentage of all energy produced. [50] Over this same period, the global demand for energy has increased significantly.
Over the last two decades, the overall use of fossil fuels around the world has increased by roughly 41%, with the use of coal increasing by approximately 55%. [51]
55%Increase of coal use over the last decade.Source: Energy Institute: Statistical Review of World Energy 2023. Based on data provided for consumption of Coal, Oil, Natural Gas.
The transition to renewable energy can be accomplished with little impact to the environment.
Not So Fast
Renewable power requires approximately ten times more land area than fossil fuels per unit of power produced. [52] This surprising reality requires serious consideration as we develop future energy policies.
10xMoreLand area is required for renewable power than fossil fuels per unit of power produced.Source: Samantha Gross, Brookings Institute: Renewables, Land Use, and Local Opposition in the United States (Page 3)
To reach goals for renewable energy use, the IEA is estimating the supply of nickel, graphite, and lithium will need to increase by 1900%, 2500%, and 4200% respectively. [53] This will require an enormous increase in mining and industrial activity, as well as large amounts of fossil fuels to extract, process, and transport these materials.
A transition to renewable energy will strengthen our national security and promote our energy independence.
Not So Fast
An electrical grid powered solely by renewable energy will significantly increase our dependence on foreign nations, many of them with lower workplace safety and environmental standards. For instance, China controls roughly 90% of the market for refining rare earth elements, which are critical to the production of EV motors and wind turbines. [54]
In 2022, 77% of all energy consumed in the U.S. was produced domestically. [55] Transitioning to renewable energy too quickly weakens this important metric and makes the U.S. more reliant on foreign sources of energy.
77%Of all energy consumed in the United States in 2022 was produced domestically. Source: US EIA: Monthly Energy Review (Sept. 2023, Released January 2024), Tables 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4a, 1.4b, 1.4c, 2.1a, and 2.1b.
To achieve a carbon-free electricity system in the U.S. by 2035, we only need to replace fossil fuels with renewables — and we’re on track to do so.
Not So Fast
To achieve a scenario where solar and wind provide the majority of U.S. electricity in 2035, the existing transmission capacity might need to triple in size. That could require the installation of up to 10,100 miles of new transmission lines every year starting in 2026. [56] In 2023, as a point of reference, only 195.9 miles of new transmission lines were installed in the U.S. [57]
10,100MilesOf new transmission lines needed every year, starting in 2026 to support a scenario where wind and solar provide the United States with electricity.Sources: National Renewable Energy Laboratory: 100% Clean Electricity by 2035 Study
U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: Office of Energy Projects Energy Infrastructure Update For November 2023 (Page 7)
U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: Office of Energy Projects Energy Infrastructure Update For November 2023 (Page 7)
Renewable sources of energy are more economically-friendly than fossil-fuel-based forms of energy, like coal.
Not So Fast
As energy markets continue to be circumvented with artificial subsidies and incentives for weaker renewables, the full consequences of energy inflation are beginning to surface. In fact, PJM, a large Regional Transmission Organization (RTO), held its most recent power capacity auction in July 2024, resulting in prices more than 800% higher than recorded a year earlier. Energy prices for power plants landed at $269.92 per megawatt- day, compared with $28.92 per megawatt-day just the year earlier. Capacity auctions are mandated events that balance consumer pricing protections with market reliability, capacity, and transmission considerations. PJM’s July auction provides clear evidence that moving away from affordable fossil fuels—and rushing too quickly to intermittent and low-capacity renewables—will drive significant energy inflation and, someday soon, could have a devastating impact on the U.S. economy. [58][59]
830%Annual price increase per mega-watt day for capacity power at PJM’s July 2024 energy auction Sources: Reuters: PJM Power AuctionAmerica’s Power: Higher Electricity Costs
CHECK THE FACTS
- Energy Institute: Statistical Review of World Energy 2023 (Supporting data: Total Proved Coal Reserves at End 2020)
- See World Coal Association: Coal–Energy for Sustainable Development
- United Nations: Human Development Reports: Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2022: Unpacking Deprivation Bundles to Reduce Multidimensional Poverty (Pages 2, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 23)
- Energy Institute: Statistical Review of World Energy 2023 (Page 53)
- IEA: World Energy Outlook 2022 (Page 164)
- See Center for Robust Decision-making on Climate and Energy Policy: Energy Transitions in U.S. History, 1800-2019 (Page 5, lines 125 – 130)
- PBS Learning Media: Coal, Steam, and the Industrial Revolution | Crash Course World History.
- PJM: Energy Transition in PJM: Resource Retirements, Replacements & Risks (Pages 5, 6)
- North American Electric Reliability Corporation: 2022 Long-Term Reliability Assessment. (Page 9)
- U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Renewable Electricity Futures Study, Renewable Electricity Generation and Storage Technology Volume 2/4 (Pages 225, 279, 331)
- Dave Merrill, Bloomberg.com: The U.S. Will Need a Lot of Land for a Zero-Carbon Economy
- North American Electric Reliability Corporation: 2022 Long-Term Reliability Assessment. (Page 9)
- Samantha Gross: Brookings Institute, Renewables, Land Use, and Local Opposition in the United States (Page 3)
- NREL: How Do We Inventory the Materials Needed To Build Wind and Solar Farms?
- IEA: The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions
- Center for Strategic & International Studies: Building Larger and More Diverse Supply Chains for Energy Minerals (Page 1)
- U.S. Department of Energy: Solar Photovoltaics – Supply Chain Deep Dive Assessment (97% of world’s production of silicon wafers occurs in China, a country with documented human rights violations and an unpredictable trade relationship with the United States. See pages iii and iv)
- U.S. Department of Energy: Wind Energy – Supply Chain Deep Dive Assessment (See Figure 4 on page 15 – U.S. imports of Wind Specific Equipment).
- IEA: Energy Technology Perspectives 2023 (Page 107 – Figure 2.10, negative trade balances for U.S., page 82 – U.S. imports 2/3 of its PV modules, page 108 – U.S. is a major net importer of refined minerals and aluminum….by contrast, U.S. is a net exporter of fossil fuels, other similar references throughout report.)
- Katie Sweeney, National Mining Association, Congressional Testimony: Unleashing American Energy, Lowering Energy Costs, and Strengthening Supply Chains
- McKinsey & Company: The net-zero transition: What it would cost, what it could bring
- IEA: World Energy Outlook 2021 – Chapter 3 (Pages 158 – 162)
- IEA: World Energy Outlook 2022 – Chapter 3 (Pages 157 – 162)
- IER: The Challenges and Costs of Net-Zero and the Future of Energy
- William Murray, American Affairs Journal: Costs, Benefits, and Unintended Consequences: Environmental Law and Deindustrialization
- Robert Bryce, Visiting Fellow The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, Congressional Testimony: Generating Equity and Improving Energy Access & Affordability
- NMA: Americans Concerned About Grid Reliability, Urge Caution in the Transition
- Pew Research Center: Majorities of Americans Prioritize Renewable Energy, Back Steps to Address Climate Change
- National Coal Council: Coal=Reliable Energy
- Fraser Institute: Renewable Energy Can’t Replace Fossil Fuels
- Michael Shellenberger, Forbes.com: Renewable Energy Boom Risks More Blackouts Without Adequate Investment In Grid Reliability
- NMPP Energy: Understanding The Term ‘Dispatchable’ Regarding Electricity Generation
- ERCOT: Update to April 6, 2021 Preliminary Report of Causes of Generator Outages and Derates During the February 2021 Extreme Cold Weather Event (Page 16)
- ERCOT: February 2021 Extreme Weather Event, Generation Resource and Energy Storage Resource Outages and Derates for February 10-19, 2021, Excel Version (Coal’s outage/deration less on a proportional basis compared to any other source.)
- Energy Central: Can You Make a Wind Turbine Without Fossil Fuels?
- U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Renewable Energy Materials Properties Database: Summary (August 2023) (Figure 3, page 8. Steel is 9% of material for 1 MW of land based wind, or 108 metric tonnes. Concrete is 34% of material for 1 MW, or 408 metric tonnes)
- Gulhan Ozbayoglu: Comprehensive Energy Systems, Energy Production From Coal (Chapter 3.19.1.1.2, page 791. 0.77 tonne of coal per tonne of steel translates to 83 tonnes of coal in steel per MW of onshore wind capacity. Chapter 3.19.1.1.3, page 792. 0.2 – 0.45 tonne of coal per tonne of cement translates to 82 – 184 tonnes of coal per MW of onshore wind capacity. Total tonnes of coal per MW of onshore wind capacity = 165-266 tonnes of coal)
- McKinsey & Company: The Net-zero Transition: What it Would Cost, What it Could Bring (Page 74)
- World Coal Association: Other Uses of Coal
- Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration: Coal’s Importance to the World
- Minerals Education Coalition: Mineral Usage Statistics
- World Coal Association: Coal & Steel
- Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration: Coal’s Importance to the World
- International Energy Agency: Coal Market Update–July 2023
- United Nations: Human Development Reports: Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2022: Unpacking Deprivation Bundles to Reduce Multidimensional Poverty (Pages 2, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 23)
- Energy Institute: 2023 Statistical Review of World Energy (Page 53)
- PA Coal Facts: Pennsylvania’s Bituminous Coal Industry
- National Mining Association: Reclamation
- United Nations: Coal- Energy for Sustainable Development
- Scott Foster, David Elzinga: The Role of Fossil Fuels in a Sustainable Energy System
- IEA: World Energy Outlook 2022 (Page 417, Figure 9.3)
- Mark P. Mills Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute: The “Energy Transition” Delusion: A Reality Reset
- Energy Institute: Statistical Review of World Energy 2023. Based on data provided for consumption of Coal, Oil, Natural Gas.
- Samantha Gross: Brookings Institute, Renewables, Land Use, and Local Opposition in the United States (Page 3)
- IEA:The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions, 3.0 Mineral requirements for clean energy transitions
- IEA: The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions
- US EIA: Monthly Energy Review (Sept. 2023, Released January 2024), Tables 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4a, 1.4b, 1.4c, 2.1a, and 2.1b.
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory: 100% Clean Electricity by 2035 Study
- U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: Office of Energy Projects Energy Infrastructure Update For November 2023 (Page 7)
- Reuters: PJM power auction results yield sharply higher prices
- America’s Power: Higher Electricity Costs