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Coal
> Energy Source
We use energy in almost every aspect of our daily lives. Electrical power is used
to light homes, schools, offices, and shopping centers. Industrial facilities generate
both heat and power for household as well as industrial uses. The global demand
for energy is ever-increasing as nations grow and develop and as new power-intensive
applications emerge.
Coal, which is primarily consumed by utilities to generate electricity, is a major
contributor to the global supply of energy. The World Coal Institute estimates that
coal currently fuels approximately 41% of the electricity produced in the world.
In 2009, coal represented 29% of the world’s primary energy consumption*.
Coal is a safe, reliable, easily stored, and readily available source of energy.
The immense size of the world’s coal reserves means that it will be available for
the foreseeable future. The ratio of coal reserves to production is approximately
2.6 times that for oil and 1.9 times that for natural gas*.
* According to BP Statistical Review.
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