In addition to any hype and illusion of transitioning to a net-zero green energy paradise, the global population growth and increased electrification of vehicles, coupled with the huge demand for reliable power for new artificial intelligence and giant data centers, can also drive the need for all reliable energy sources and infrastructure for reliable energy including coal, including coal. [emphasis, links added]
According to the Wall Street Journal estimates, on April 15, 2024, data centers that account for about 2.5% of U.S. electricity in 2022 are expected to consume more than 20% by 2030.
24/7 power is required to compete with nightly electric vehicle charging needs, especially when there is no sunshine and the wind will not blow.
Germany, once known as the leader of the renewable energy revolution by investing heavily in subsidizing intermittent, weather-dependent solar and wind, has studied this course in a difficult way, with the highest energy prices in Europe and forced to return to coal-fired power plants to reliably meet the minimum power supply fixed power supply for the lowest power supply fixed power supply.
Recent power disruptions shut down lights and paralyzed Spain, Portugal and southern France's lives may be another prescient course for over-integrating renewable energy into Spanish systems, with solar and wind rising from less than 23% in 2015 to less than 45% last year, while more than 45%.
Given the power outages occurred on sunny days, the Iberian power grid was powered by 74% of renewable energy, including reliable hydraulic power, with 55% of which comes from solar, making wind the only culprit.
Coal is one of the most affordable sources of electricity in terms of production costs per megawatt-hour, especially when considering the high transmission and grid integration costs associated with wind and solar facilities, which are often far from metropolitan and industrial demand centers.
In the U.S., coal is more cost-effective than natural gas in the Midwest, where the energy grid relies more on coal-fired power plants.
Coal-fired power plants produced about 16% of U.S. electricity in 2023, down from 52% in 1990, while natural gas supply was 43% and nuclear power was 20%.
While traditional coal-fired power generation that directly burns fuel sources can use advanced flue gas cleaning systems, gas, which captures not only nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides, but also gas pollution from mercury, and also provides opportunities to capture carbon dioxide (CO2), such as for release of oil and natural gas and practical applications in water in natural gas and natural gas.
Carbon capture reduces the cost of environmental legislation that complies with CO2 emissions, representing the de facto “climatic pollutant”, while leafy plants rely on it as a necessary food for their generous exchange of oxygen.
In any case, the federal government currently offers 45Q tax credit incentives designed to encourage carbon capture and fixed storage or utilization projects, ranging from $60 (CO2 for capture and use) to $180 per ton (for carbon dioxide taken from the atmosphere).
As the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) states, gasification is a thermochemical process in which heat and pressure break down coal into its chemical components, and the resulting “homogenic gas” consists primarily of carbon monoxide and hydrogen and other gaseous compounds.
Gas is more efficient than conventional combustion because it can effectively use gas twice.
The synthetic agent is first emitted in the turbine to generate electricity, and then exhaust heat can be captured and used to generate steam for the steam turbine generator. [see figure below]
This dual “combination cycle” process could achieve 50% or more efficiency compared to a coal-fired plant, which is close to 30%.
Syngas produced by gasification can be used in other applications, including the creation of synthetic natural gas, methanol and ethanol, ammonia for fertilizers, and chemicals for the refining and petrochemical industries.
Hydrogen extracted from gasification has useful fuel applications, and while synthetic agents can also be converted into transport fuel, it is much less efficient than current production and gasoline efficiency for burning oil.
The Trump administration chief order in April was titled “Release American Energy,” which restored coal to good responsibilities to play a more important role in meeting these needs, largely by directing agencies to revoke the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations (NEPA) regulations and simplifying the permitting process.
The command states:
“Based on the revival of domestic manufacturing and the construction of AI data processing centers, our country’s beautiful clean coal resources are crucial to meeting the increase in power demand.”
It emphasizes that
“We must encourage and support the country’s coal industry to increase our energy supply, reduce electricity costs, stabilize our grid, create high-paying jobs, support emerging industries and assist our allies.”
In May, the U.S. Supreme Court appeared to support Trump's NEPA's regulatory rollback, explaining with Judge Brett Kavanaugh “The purpose of the law is to inform institutions of decision-making, not paralyzing.”
Contrary to the general narrative, the United States can and should transition from fossil energy sources, including coal, to more unique “renewables,” assuming wind and solar energy, the U.S.’s prosperous and secure energy future will require development, growth and integration of all available sources into a strong power grid and fuel distribution infrastructure.
Coal is not a relic of an outdated past, but represents an important component of this combination, a rich, reliable and affordable source of electricity, fuel components and petrochemicals to meet growing national and global demand.
And, yes, those leafy plants and all God’s breathing and feeding creatures that depend on them may also be grateful when making the world greener.
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