EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Coal is both the largest source of electricity generation and the largest single source of CO2 emissions, creating a unique challenge in transitioning to low-carbon energy systems.

Detailed explanation-2: -According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, most of the nation’s electricity was generated by natural gas, nuclear energy, and coal in 2020. Electricity is also produced from renewable sources such as wind, hydropower, solar power, biomass, wind, and geothermal.

Detailed explanation-3: -For example, primary energy sources include petroleum, natural gas, coal, biomass, flowing water, wind, and solar radiation. Those are the fuels that can be mined, reaped, extracted, harvested, or harnessed directly.

Detailed explanation-4: -Because of its abundance, reliability and affordability, about 23.4% of the nation’s electricity is generated from coal, resulting in electricity costs that generally are 30% lower in states that rely upon coal for more than half of their electricity generation versus states that rely on other fuels.

Detailed explanation-5: -Coal is the largest source of energy for generating electricity in the world, and the most abundant fossil fuel in the United States. Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of ancient organisms. Because coal takes millions of years to develop and there is a limited amount of it, it is a nonrenewable resource.