For more information, contact:

Ronald Carty  ILLINOIS CLEAN COAL INSTITUTE  (618) 985-3500

Mike Murphy ILLINOIS DEPT. OF COMMERCE & COMMUNITY AFFAIRS  OFFICE OF COAL DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING  (217) 782-0481

FACTS ABOUT COAL

COAL IN ILLINOIS

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    It takes a little less than one pound of Illinois coal to produce one kilowatt-hour of electricity.

    Approximately 55 percent of the nation’s electricity is generated from coal burning utilities. In Illinois, nearly 50 percent of electricity comes from such utilities.

    Nearly 60 percent of the country’s coal production comes from mines in Illinois and other states east of the Mississippi River.

    The major states consuming Illinois coal (1992 data) include:

    • Illinois - 18.2 million tons (purchased in 1991)
    • Missouri - 11.6 million tons
    • Indiana - 9.6 million tons
    • Georgia - 5.0 million tons
    • Florida - 5.5 million tons

    Coal benefits other major industries. Nationwide, coal provides America’s railroads with more traffic and revenue than any other commodity.

    In 1991, approximately 41 million tons of Illinois coal, or 68 percent of that year’s production, were shipped to other states.

    Illinois produces about 60 million tons of coal with a value of $1.5 billion annually, ranking the state as the fifth largest coal producer in the United States.

    The total payroll of the coal mining industry in Illinois amounts to nearly $500 million annually.

    The Illinois coal industry employs approximately 7,800 men and women who have an average annual income of $36,000. More than 75 percent of Illinois’ miners work in underground mines, the others at surface operations.

    Illinois has 25 percent of the nation’s total recoverable bituminous coal reserves, or about 30 billion tons. Approximately 181 billion tons of Illinois coal resources have yet to be mined.

    Coal underlies about 65 percent of Illinois.

COAL IN THE UNITED STATES

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    Coal represents more than 80 percent of America’s known recoverable fossil fuel reserves.

    The United States has 500 billion tons of coal accessible through current production methods. These deposits could meet demand at current levels for at least 300 years.

    The 500 billion tons of U.S. coal have an energy value equal to about two trillion barrels of crude oil -- more than triple the world’s known oil reserves.

    In energy content, one ton of bituminous coal equals approximately:

    • 24 million British thermal units (Btus)
    • 4 barrels of oil
    • 24,000 cubic feet of natural gas
    • 189 gallons of gasoline

    Coal is the lowest priced fossil fuel used for running utility company turbines. Coal’s price decreased 40 percent in real terms from 1980 to 1990.

    Coal presently accounts for 55 percent of the electricity generated in the United States. Approximate totals for other fuels: nuclear, 21 percent; hydroelectric, 10 percent; natural gas, 9 percent; petroleum, 4 percent.

    Increases in coal usage by U.S. electric utilities have saved the equivalent of nearly 3.2 million barrels of oil daily since 1973.

    The coal industry, with a value of approximately $23 billion, ranks among America’s leading basic industries.

    The United States’ 3,430 coal mines employ approximately 130,000 miners.

CONTRASTS BETWEEN ILLINOIS AND WESTERN COAL

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    Western coal has a lower Btu rating, or heat producing ability, than Illinois coal. Thus, more Western coal must be burned to produce the same heat as Illinois coal.

    Approximately two-thirds of the cost of Western coal is spent on transportation, while Illinois coal has low transportation costs due to the excellent transportation network throughout the Midwest and short travel distance from mine to user.

RELATIVE COSTS OF ILLINOIS AND WESTERN COAL

• • The Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990 revised regulations to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions associated with the burning of fossil fuels. In order for coal-burning utilities to comply with the CAAA, they have a variety of options to select from, including allowances, technologies, closing plants or switching from Midwestern coal to Western coal.

    If a coal burning facility chooses to switch from Midwestern to Western coal, utility bills will reflect the transportation costs involved. Transportation costs are low for Midwestern coal because of relatively easy access to water and rail routes.

COAL RESEARCH IN ILLINOIS

• • The Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA) has had a long standing concern for protecting the environment and supporting America’s Midwestern coal energy source. DCCA’s Office of Coal Development and Marketing formed the Illinois Clean Coal Institute (ICCI), located at the Illinois Coal Development Park, to administer coal research grants at numerous universities and research centers in support of the state’s CCT program.

    Researchers funded by ICCI study the elements of coal through experimental technologies to remove sulfur from coal. When research efforts look promising, the process is moved into a demonstration phase at a commercial level coal burning facility.

EXAMPLES OF CLEAN COAL TECHNOLOGIES IN ILLINOIS

• • Clean coal technologies currently operating at demonstration and/or commercial phases in Illinois include the University of Illinois’ Abbott Power Plant, Champaign, Ill.; Archer Daniels Midland Company, Decatur, Ill.; and Rochelle Public Utilities, Rochelle, Ill.

    Since the Clean Air Act of 1970, new coal burning facilities have been required to install emission control systems to help lower a wide variety of air emissions. As a result, sulfur dioxide emissions from coal fired plants have decreased 20 percent, while coal use by these facilities has increased 23 percent.

(Statistical information supplied courtesy of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, U.S. Department of Energy, National Coal Association and National Energy Information Center.)