# Coal Plants and Their Environmental Impact Explored

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2018/12/coal-plants-and-their-environmental-impact-explored/
- Published: 2018-12-23T01:04:41-05:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

#### ⌊coal power plants⌉⌊coal power plants⌉Coal Power Plants: Report Warns Against Investments in New or Existing Coal-Fired Power Plants

#### ![](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/150526storynew-hires-coal.jpg?w=736&quality=52&ssl=1)

Firstly, the cost of [constructing or retrofitting](https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/05/southern-pollution-power-plants-emissions-exposed/)
coal powered plants and the rising cost of coal. They have made coal power an extremely
risky long-term investment. This is according to a report released today by the 
Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

The report, “A [Risky Proposition](https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/financial-hazards-new-investments-coal-plants):
The Financial Hazards of New Investments in Coal Plants”. It also identified a number
of other factors that make investing in coal a gamble. That’s including its continuing
threat to public health and the environment.

### US Coal Plant 30 Year Old Plus

More than 70 percent of U.S. [coal power](https://greenlivingguy.com/2019/09/solar-power-will-kill-coal-faster-than-you-think-via-bloomberg-new-energy-finance/)
plant capacity is already more than 30 years old. Most noteworthy, the operating
lifetime for which coal plants were typically designed. Then a third went online
before 1970. More importantly, some plant operators have announced they will retire
old plants.

So then others are planning to retrofit their plants with modern pollution control
technology. This would reduce emissions of several dangerous pollutants, but not
carbon.

Therefore, such investments would not only make it harder to protect the climate.
In addition, it will also expose investors and ratepayers to a host of financial
threats.

### The factors that make coal plants such a precarious investment include:

• U.S. coal prices are rising and driving higher. That’s from soaring global demand.
That’s especially from Asia. Also, Spot prices for Appalachia coal spiked dramatically
in 2008. They could spike again.

Thereby all of the increases are largely due to international demand. As well, those
prices are steadily rising again with the global economic recovery. And the price
for a one-month contract for coal from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. It rose 67 
percent between October 2009 and October 2010. So yes western coal has been less
exposed to volatile global markets. Although that situation is changing. Therefore
it started once major coal producers in the West have announced plans to increase
their exports. That’s when China and other Asian markets are picking up that coal.

### Coal Supply Drives Costs

Coal prices also are driven higher by constraints on supply. The amount of economically
recoverable coal reserves are smaller than thought.

Major coal projects face high, unpredictable construction costs. The cost of building
a new coal plant in the United States is doubling every five years.

There is no cost advantage coal power plants traditionally enjoyed over cleaner 
energy options. It has largely disappeared when it comes to new green plants. Therefore,
Power from new coal plants cost more than power from eco. For example, new solar
plants, wind facilities and the best geothermal sites. As well and much more noteworthy
too versus investing in energy efficiency.

### Coal Plants Pollution 411

Coal plants are the largest U.S. carbon pollution source. It is contributing one-
third of all energy-related emissions. In excesses of and more than the entire surface
transportation sector. That’s why coal power plants are facing increasing pressure
to dramatically cut emissions. Thereby to help curb climate change. So the cost 
of generating electricity from new coal plants could increase 11 to 37 percent under
a range of carbon prices in the future.

### Carbon Capture and Storage

[Carbon capture](https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/12/construction-illinois-carbon-capture-storage-plant/)
and storage (CCS) retrofits cannot be counted on. That’s to affordably cut emissions.
Federal studies show adding CCS to a new plant could increase generating costs by
36 to 78 percent. All while retrofitting an existing coal-fired powerplant increases
its costs by 330 percent.

Federal and state governments are promoting energy efficiency and clean energy sources,
which will cut demand for coal plants. Twenty-seven states have [energy efficiency standards](https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/08/green-energy-standards-change-refrigeration-energy-efficiency/)
or a standard pending, and several states now require annual reductions in electricity
use of at least 2 percent. Twenty-nine states now have a standard requiring utilities
to increase their reliance on renewable energy sources, more than doubling since
2004.

### Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxide

Coal plants also face new costs associated with such harmful emissions as sulfur
dioxide and [nitrogen oxide](https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/12/epa-funding-to-reduce-air-pollution-from-ferries-operating-between-new-jersey-and-new-york/).
Essentially which are [associated with thousands of deaths annually](https://greenlivingguy.com/2025/10/environmental-media-association-annual-gala-recap/),
and mercury, which threatens the brain development of infants and children.

Source: Union of Concerned Scientists