In this first installment of the Bison Energy Report, I aim to set the scene of why the promotion of renewables is important to not only the nation, but also the world. In the past few years, we have made progress in advancing renewable energy technology, however, there is still much work to be done.
When considering the changes happening to the energy industry today, it is important to know the history of the industry. Until about the late-1800s, wood (technically a renewable resource) was the dominant source of energy in the United States [1]. As the country entered the Industrial Revolution, the coal-powered steam engine took over, and coal dominated the industry until the mid-1900s [1]. As coal was becoming dominant, Thomas Edison opened the first electricity generation station, the Pearl Street Station, in Manhattan, NY on September 4th, 1882 . The station used coal as its energy source to power a dynamo (primitive DC generator) [2].
With the rise of the automotive industry, petroleum took over as the primary energy source for Americans in 1950 [1]. However, coal continued to be the number one source of electricity generation in the United states. Only as of 2016 did natural gas take over the top spot [3]. As of 1950, renewables made up a considerable portion of the electrical energy market, generating 101 billion kWh (Compared to coal's 115 billion kWh) [3]. This was mostly due to the popularity of hydropower, generating 100.88 billion kWh of electricity (the rest came from biomass, such as wood). In later years, coal pulled away, generating about 48.5% of the total electrical energy produced at its peak use in 2007 [3]. Until recent years, hydropower was by far the number one source of renewable energy, only recently being over taken by the wind in 2019 [3]. Today, renewables such as wind, hydro, solar and biomass generate around 20% of the energy in the United States. If you include nuclear power into this, about 39% of the electrical energy in the U.S. is generated by non-fossil fuels [3].
So why are fossil fuels (and specifically coal) so bad? The number one issue with the use of coal for energy is the air pollution associated with it. It is widely known that the use of coal emits pollutants such as mercury, lead, sulfur dioxide, and other heavy metals into the air [4]. Breathing these in can lead many health effects, such as asthma, heart disease, cancers and brain damage [4]. It is scientifically proven that living near coal-fired power plants increases the rates of these diseases, and in turn, premature death [5].
The air pollution is not the only issue. Coal-fired plants produce more than 100 million tons of ash yearly [4]. This ash can be used beneficially for other applications, however, over half of it ends up in ponds, lakes or landfills, where it can over time contaminate drinking water sources [6]. On top of this, the process of removing coal from the ground has its own impact on water sources. Coal mines and mountain-top removal sites rely heavily on local water sources, leading to acidic water run-off into drinking water sources [7].
The third issue with the use of coal and other fossil fuel is by far the most politicized and talked about. Climate change. The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, which "work like a blanket" to warm the Earth [4] [8]. In the long run, this leads to the major weather events that we have been seeing increasingly frequently over the past few years [4].
The growth of renewables aims to eliminate these issues. The use of natural gas is significantly cleaner than coal, however, it is still not enough. Even if you fall into the category that is not entirely convinced by climate change, I hope you can see that the other effects mentioned are equally devastating for the world population. Throughout the lifetime of this report, I aim to not only bring you up to date on the latest news from the energy sector, but also help you to understand why the news is important, in the context of the three main issues listed above.
Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images, Smoke from Coal-fired Power Station
Sources
[1] "History of Energy Consumption in the United States, 1775-2009" US Energy Information Administration. 4 Feb. 2011. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=10
[2] "Pearl Street Station" Engineering and Technology History. 23 Nov. 2017. https://ethw.org/Pearl_Street_Station
[3] "Energy Explained, Electricity in the United States" US Energy Information Administration. 18 Mar. 2021. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-in-the-us.php
[4] "Coal Power Impacts" Union of Concerned Scientists. 9 Jul. 2019. https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/coal-power-impacts
[5] Marusic, Kristina. "When coal plants decrease pollution or shut down, fewer people have asthmas attacks" Environmental Health News. https://www.ehn.org/asthma-coal-fired-power-plant-2645715717.html
[6] "Coal Ash Reuse" United States Environmental Protections Agency. https://www.epa.gov/coalash/coal-ash-reuse
[7] "Coal Explained, Coal and the Environment" US Energy Information Administration. 2 Dec. 2021. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/coal/coal-and-the-environment.php
[8] "Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions" United States Environmental Protections Agency. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#:~:text=Carbon%20dioxide%20(CO2)%20makes,natural%20gas%2C%20to%20produce%20electricity.
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