How clean is the electricity you use?

The US EPA has a web site, Energy and You,  to help you find out. For the basic information and statistics, you simply need to know your zip code. This will show a break down of how much SO2, Nox and CO2 is produced per mWh (1,000 kWh) for electricity used in your area.  If you would like specific information about a home or business, then the annual electric usage in kWh for that structure is needed.

The breakdown of fuel types also gives a good idea of waste products.  Coal is the dirtiest fuel, not only in terms of emissions but in terms of byproducts after combustion.  Fly ash from coal burning power plants is ever present and represents a real disposal issue for the power plant operator.  Of course, nuclear, in it’s current configuration, generates hazardous materials that need to be stored for 10,000 years.  This, by the way, can be changed with a different type of reactor. h/t to Sunvolt

Here is the environmental impact of my electricity:

The type of power most used to generate electricity in my area is coal. This is also true nation-wide.  Coal plants should be shut down as soon as possible all across the country, and replaced with renewable and clean energy, and here is just a snippet of why from the EPA site:

(COAL) Air Emissions

When coal is burned, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury compounds are released. For that reason, coal-fired boilers are required to have control devices to reduce the amount of emissions that are released.

The average emission rates in the United States from coal-fired generation are: 2,249 lbs/MWh of carbon dioxide, 13 lbs/MWh of sulfur dioxide, and 6 lbs/MWh of nitrogen oxides.1

Mining, cleaning, and transporting coal to the power plant generate additional emissions. For example, methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is trapped in the coal, is often vented during these processes to increase safety.

(COAL) Water Resource Use

Large quantities of water are frequently needed to remove impurities from coal at the mine. In addition, coal-fired power plants use large quantities of water for producing steam and for cooling. When coal-fired power plants remove water from a lake or river, fish and other aquatic life can be affected, as well as animals and people who depend on these aquatic resources.

This makes me want to turn off the lights and the computer right now.  But no, we don’t have to live without electricity! We have to pressure our power companies to use clean renewable energy instead of dirty coal.  This is very doable — they just aren’t doing it.  I’ve been thinking about how to change the minds of those in our power companies,  and it seems that trying to reason with them is not working.  I have written emails and they are quite arrogant in their certainty that they are being responsible, no matter how much coal they burn.  They give [...]