Exploring the Future Role of Coal in the US Energy System

This essay examines the future role of coal in the United States' energy system, considering both environmental impacts and economic benefits. It highlights the US's significant coal reserves and its current reliance on coal for electricity generation, while also acknowledging the environmental challenges associated with coal mining and combustion. The essay discusses the European Commission's "Energy Union Package" and the challenges facing the US energy sector, including investment risks and regulatory uncertainties. It emphasizes the importance of advanced coal technologies to ensure a resilient energy future, projecting increased energy demand and the potential for coal to enhance energy independence and economic growth. The essay concludes that coal will continue to play a significant role in the US energy mix, particularly with advancements in clean coal technologies and supportive government policies, ultimately improving the quality of life for Americans.

Running head: THE FUTURE ROLE OF COAL IN THE ENERGY SYSTEM
The Future Role of Coal in the Energy System
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1THE FUTURE ROLE OF COAL IN THE ENERGY SYSTEM
One of the largest coal services all over the world is provided by U.S. There are different
quality of coal that are found all across U.S. The content of heat in the eastern zone of the
country is basically high and the western coal of the country has low sulfur content [2]. All over
U.S. there are all total of 20 states that produces coal and most of the coal is consumed to
produce electricity for the country.
But with the high usage of coal, there are many environmental impacts related to the
usage of coal. The environmental impacts from mining to the process of combustion where there
are emission of harmful gases such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, mercury as well as many
other gases. For creating the resilient of the energy system, Commission of Europe has
introduced a package known as “Energy Union Package”. The main aim of this union is to shift
the fundamental way of generating the energy as well as distributing them equally [1]. The
energy of Europe is mainly based on some centralized, as well as supply side model. Reducing
the emission from all energy sectors addresses risks such as changing of climate, deep de-
carbonization of energy, as well as shifting of the infrastructure.
There are also risk of investment in the energy sector of U.S. This risk of investment has
increased because of the price volatility as well as the political uncertainty from a framework
that has unstable regulatory [3]. The investment of the energy sector is managed by the
government policies as well as the incentives instead of the price signals included in the
competitive markets. There are many challenges that are energy system faces in United States.
The challenges are mentioned below.
1. The energy system change from OPEX to CAPEX.
2. There is increased in capacity as well as decreased generation.

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3. The demand growth is declining gradually.
4. There is an issue of mission money.
5. There is also financing gap, investment crisis as well as regulatory change.
6. Credit worthiness are also declining gradually.
The development as well as deployment of the included advanced technologies of coal is
more important to shape the energy in future. Coal as well as similar other fossil fuels are the
main backbone of energy system globally.
According to the National Coal Council in United States, the demand for energy will rise
gradually over the coming 25 years. The consumption of energy will significantly increase to
127 quadrillion from 100 quadrillion. Coal in U.S. is the domestic fuel which helps to increase
the flexibility [5]. The coal is also considered as a reserve base that helps to meet burgeoning
demand in United States. It is expected that the resources of coal will increase rapidly because of
the energy economics over the world. The excess of coal, it is expected that the next generation
onwards there will be less dependency on the foreign suppliers from foreign.
There will be clear technologies of coal that are available commercially for producing
clean, low-cost electricity as well as reliable source of energy. For converting the coal to natural
gas as well as to liquid fuels is done by the exceptionally. The coal in future will also will help to
produce hydrogen and also an increased oil recovery. By implementing these technologies of
coal, will help to generate extra economic benefits to the people in United States. By 2025, it is
also expected that the price of energy will reduce to about 33% which will help to recruit 1.4
million of new job vacancies per year [7]. United States will have a gain in their GDP (Gross
Domestic Product) to about $3 trillion.

3THE FUTURE ROLE OF COAL IN THE ENERGY SYSTEM
The Coal in future United States will help to meet all substantial increase of energy that is
in demand in the coming decades from which all the Americans will be highly benefitted. The
future coal industry will also ensure the economic preeminence in United States [6]. There will
be continued economic preeminence in world. The use of coal in future will also reduce
debilitating and can impact dangerously on the dependency on other foreign country for the
supplying of energy.
For improving the potential barrier that comes in expanding the production of coal and
the use of coal are a) accelerating the research, demonstration as well as development of all the
advanced technologies included [2]. b) Improves ability of included industries to attract the
private capital for all the facilities that are available. c) It is also important to provide the market
certainty for all the products that are available. There can be involvement of EPA
(Environmental Protection Agency) to carry out the research on the performance of fuel in
United States. d) There also can be assured incentives for coal for all the alternatives
technologies. e) Minimizes the cost of operating for the alternative fuel plants that are involved.
f) Reduces the delays as well as reduces the regulatory uncertainty [4]. g) Assures the oil
recovery enhancement in basins that uses CO2 which are extracted from the coal plants. h)
Provides a good amount of incentive needed for upgrading infrastructure of transportation. i)
Ensures the existing as well as identified reserves of United States that are economically
recoverable and makes them as a part of their resource. j) Continues to support provisions for the
Mine Safety and Health Act, and lastly k) conducts through as well as updated survey for the
coal reserves of United States.
It can be concluded that in future, the coal energy will account to one fourth of the
generation capacity of United States and will helps in generating cheap gas as well as renewables

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from the coal plants. The American will have a great future in United States and helps to
improve quality of the life of all the Americans.

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