Coal

-regulations, policies, environmental

By: Michael Daniel, Veva Francisco, Dolfin Olsen

Energy Reserves

Energy Reserves

• US coal estimated at 250 years
• Decades old surveys still used
• Doubtful US energy productions from coal will increase
• Hard coal versus Lignite and bituminous (dirty)
• dirty coal- very cheap
• Hard coal is being depleted

Energy Production

-Germany

• Leader in renewable energy
• 2014- 44% energy from coal
• July 25th, for a few hours Germany got 75% of energy from renewables

Regulations and Policies

• April 1st, 2007, Supreme Court ruled carbon dioxide as a pollutant
• subject to regulation under Environmental Protection Agency
• Clean Power
• Colorado Land Reclamation Act for the Extraction of Construction Materials
• The economic costs of reclamation measures shall bear a reasonable relationship to the environmental benefits derived from such measures
• Colorado utilities to invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency and the retirement of coal plants 85 percent of the emissions reductions required to meet EPA's interim goal

Regulations and Policies

• Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) 1970
• National Historic Preservation Act (1966), which governs the preservation of historic properties throughout the United States;
• National Environmental Policy Act (1969), which established a process for the federal government to address environmental issues caused by federal actions, including the issuance of a federal mining permit;
• Endangered Species Act (1973), which governs the protection of endangered species;
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976), which governs the control of solid wastes;
• Clean Water Act (1977), which regulates the discharge of pollutants into water sources;
• Clear Air Act (1990), which regulates the discharge of pollutants into the air.

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Environmental

• Environmental concerns- dirty coal
• responsible for more than 80 percent of its emissions of carbon dioxide,
• major contributor of mercury, nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide, and other air pollutants
• Largest US producer of greenhouse gasses

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• Land reclamation

CO2 Emission Drops

Clean Coal

The cap

on the amount of pollution that can be released, measured in billions of tons of carbon dioxide (or equivalent) per year. It is set based on science.

Trade

Creates a market for carbon allowances, helping companies innovate in order to meet, or come in under, their allocated limit. The less they emit, the less they pay, so it is in their economic incentive to pollute less.

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Clean Power Plan

• Clean Power Plan On August 3, 2015, President Obama and EPA announced the Clean Power Plan

What is the Clean Power Plan?

Clean Power Plan will reduce carbon pollution from power plants, the nation’s largest source, while maintaining energy reliability and affordability. Also on August 3, EPA issued final Carbon Pollution Standards for new, modified, and reconstructed power plants, and proposed a Federal Plan and model rule to assist states in implementing the Clean Power Plan.

• Power sector will be 32 percent below 2005 levels
• emissions of sulfur dioxide from power plants will be 90 percent lower compared to 2005 levels, and emissions of nitrogen oxides will be 72 percent lower

How the Clean Power Plan Works

• The Clean Air Act – under section 111(d) – creates a partnership between EPA, states, tribes and U.S. territories – with EPA setting a goal and states and tribes choosing how they will meet it.
• The final Clean Power Plan follows that approach. EPA is establishing interim and final carbon dioxide (CO2)

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Carbon sequestration

“Carbon sequestration means capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere or capturing anthropogenic (human) CO₂ from large-scale stationary sources like power plants before it is released to the atmosphere. Once captured, the CO₂ gas (or the carbon portion of the CO₂) is put into long-term storage.”

Terrestrial Sequestration

using plants to capture CO₂ from the atmosphere and then storing it as carbon in the stems and roots of the plants as well as in the soil.

Geologic Sequestration

Geologic sequestration is putting CO₂ into long-term storage in geologic zones deep underground.

Bibliography

• "Where Is Coal Found?" World Coal Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
• Fridley, David. "The End of Cheap Coal." Post Carbon Institute. N.p., 14 July 2011. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
• "TITLE 34 MINERAL RESOURCES ARTICLE 32.5 Colorado Land Reclamation Act for the Extraction of Construction Materials." (n.d.): n. pag. Mining.state.co.us. Colorado Mining. Web.
• "What Is CO2 Sequestration?" What Is CO2 Sequestration. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.
• "E&E's Power Plan Hub: Colorado." E&E's Power Plan Hub: Colorado. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.
• "Energy Generation and Creating Jobs." Solving Environmental Problems: Hydraulic Fracturing. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
• Locatelli, Luca. "Why Germany Could Be a Model for How We'll Get Power in the Future." National Geographic. National Geographic, 15 Oct. 2015. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
• "Coal | Netl.doe.gov." Coal | Netl.doe.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
• "Sorting through the Claims, Counterclaims about Environmental Impact of 'fracking'" NBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.
• "How Cap and Trade Works." Environmental Defense Fund. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.
• "FACT SHEET: Overview of the Clean Power Plan." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.