Coal
By: Karlee Clark
How it works:
Coal is made into electricity. First, coal is crushed to a dust and burnt. The heat from burning the coal dust turns the water to steam. After this, the steam turns the blades of the turbine. The turbine then is connected to a generator. Then electricity is made. The water is cooled so it gets reused.
Facts:
--Coal generates about 40% of the electricity in the U.S.
--Each person in the United States uses 3 tons of coal each year.
--9 out of 10 tons of coal are used to generate electricity.
--The average coal miner is 45 and had 16 years of experience.
--As of right now, the U.S. has a 235 year supply of coal.
What's the future like?
The U.S. has a 235-year supply of coal. This is good because the future holds new methods available. Coal may be used for communicating, transportation, or even space expeditions. Coal will probably still be a very important source of electricity. It is also cheaper than Oil and Natural Gas.