James Robinson

"Stephen Sprunk" <stephen@sprunk.org> wrote:
>
> Second, coal is only used in significant quantities in the northern
> and eastern US. It's in the single-digit percentages in the
> south/west US. Virtually the entire base load where I live is nuclear,
> and the peaking is handled with NG. The electric company has been
> trying to shut down their one coal plant for years but ERCOT won't let
> them until they bring more nuclear capacity online (which, until
> recently, was impossible to get a permit for) to keep the grid
> reserves up.

2004 numbers show that for the state of Texas, electricity consumed came
from the following sources:

Coal 39
Natural Gas 48
Hydro **
Nuclear 11
Other 3

Thus, coal makes up a significant portion of the fuel used in that state.
Certainly more than single digit percentages.

Further, I would guess that the majority of coal mined in Wyoming's Powder
River basin is destined to the southeast.