Engineering Expert Witness Blog

     We’ve been talking about coal fired power plants for some time now, and it’s always good to introduce third party information on subject matter in order to gain the most from the discussion.  What follows is an excerpt of an interesting book review on the subject of coal consumption which appeared in the New York Times:

There is perhaps no greater act of denial in modern life than sticking a plug into an electric outlet. No thinking person can eat a hamburger without knowing it was once a cow, or drink water from the tap without recognizing, at least dimly, that its journey began in some distant reservoir. Electricity is different. Fully sanitized of any hint of its origins, it pours out of the socket almost like magic.

In his new book, Jeff Goodell breaks the spell with a single number: 20. That’s how many pounds of coal each person in the United States consumes, on average, every day to keep the electricity flowing. Despite its outdated image, coal generates half of our electricity, far more than any other source. Demand keeps rising, thanks in part to our appetite for new electronic gadgets and appliances; with nuclear power on hold and natural gas supplies tightening, coal’s importance is only going to increase. As Goodell puts it, “our shiny white iPod economy is propped up by dirty black rocks.”

     To read the entire article, follow this link: 

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/books/review/25powell.html?_r=2

A locomotive crane unloading coal from railcars at a power plant in the late 1930s.

     Next week we’ll continue our regular series, following energy’s journey through the power plant.

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