Coal-fired power plants in the United States: Future trends

Although it is by far the most abundant fossil fuel, coal will see renewed competition from nuclear and from renewables in the future. Additionally, current attention to the use of natural gas as a fuel will continue through the turn of the century. These conclusions can be drawn from the recent recommendations supporting a National Energy Strategy (1). However it is the consensus of most experts that coal-based electricity generation will maintain its share of the electricity market at roughly 50% for the next 40 years. Coal-fired power plants are likely to see both evolutionary and revolutionary changes, as ways are sought to mitigate environmental concerns. These likely changes are the focus of this paper