State of Coal and Renewable Energy in Schuylkill County
The current state of the county’s coal production and the future energy production holds for the county
Nationally coal is in a steep decline
Figures 1 and 2 clearly show that after 2011, the national coal production and employment went into free fall. This resulted in a 36% decline in coal production [1] [2] and a loss of over 60,000 coal mining jobs and 210,000 indirect jobs.
Cultural Significance of Coal’s Decline
The United States is no stranger to the collapse and replacement of industries; thousands of products have been done away with throughout the decades. We have seen the extinction of kodak cameras, record players, and now even dvds. These replacements have all been seen as innovation and we have welcomed their replacement, so why is it that we are so reluctant to part ways with coal power?
The coal industry holds a pivotal role in the history and culture in America. Coal was the immense economic engine that fueled the industrial revolution and gave opportunities to millions of immigrants. This is the legacy that coal communities continue to strive toward, to build a land of opportunity. Coal’s association with economic prosperity is still deeply ingrained in communities like Schuylkill County. Many are reluctant to see the end of an industry that has done so much for the country.
These vary coal communities however, are now being economically devastated with growing unemployment rates and migrating populations. To avoid this fate, in 2015, these communities created a national movement to remove regulations that they believed to be the cause of the decline in coal. Many residents of Schuylkill County joined this movement, believing that coal could again bring prosperity to the region.
The participants of this movement succeeded in gathering representation and subsequent deregulation of the coal industry. Most of the heavy regulations that were implemented between 2008 and 2016 have been removed, including the elimination of Stream Protection Rule, Clean Power Plan, and the moratorium of coal leasing on federal lands [1]. These removals were expected to have benefited coal communities across the country, yet shockingly, coal only continues to decline. The reason for this? Coal was never killed by regulations, but by a competing fuel source: natural gas.
Natural Gas Competition
Natural gas has become an extremely affordable alternative to coal and its production has nearly doubled since 2005 [1][2]. Natural gas has undercut and outcompeted the coal industry. This is because it is healthier, more efficient, cheaper, and easier to transport, store, burn, and extract than coal. Even as regulations drop, natural gas continues to be cheaper than coal [1].
Natural gas has replaced coal as the nation’s largest source of fuel for electricity. Before 2011, coal produced 45% of the nation’s electricity. As of 2019, coal accounts for only 25% of electrical generation, while renewable energy accounts for 19% and natural gas accounts for 33% [1] (Page 136). This is the main cause of the decline in coal production, as 93% of all coal produced is used to generate electricity [1]. If natural gas and renewables overtake coal in electrical production, the demand and consumption of coal will be nonexistent. Economics and technical innovation continue to be the true culprits of coal’s decline.
The State of Coal in Pennsylvania
Contrary to popular belief, the majority of coal produced is mined in the West rather than the East. 41% of all coal used in the country is produced in Wyoming; Pennsylvanian coal only accounts for 6% [1].
Western coal overtook eastern coal because of its cheap price and very low sulfur content, meaning it releases far less pollution in the form of sulfur dioxide, on which the Clean Air Act set stringent regulations on. [1][2][3]. The bituminous coal of Pennsylvania has a higher sulfur percentage than the sub-bituminous coal found in Wyoming, which is why, since 1947, Pennsylvania’s coal production has been declining [1][2][3]. Electric companies opted to import coal from Wyoming and other low sulfur-producing states like West Virginia because the coal fits the regulations of safe air quality.
Sulfur dioxide causes acid rain, can harm respiratory systems, and makes breathing difficult for children and asthmatics [1]. The implementation of the Clean Air Act has virtually eliminated acid rain and sulfur dioxide pollution, but it cost Pennsylvania its coal industry [1].
The biggest competitors of Pennsylvania’s bituminous coal are low-sulfur coal and natural gas production. For Pennsylvania’s bituminous coal to ever be produced at its former rate, the Clean Air Act would have to be altered greatly, and natural gas and renewable energy would have to become extremely expensive, both of which are very unlikely.
Anthracite Coal
Figure 7 below illustrates how the Clean Air Acts (1970, 1977, 1990), coal regulations implemented by the last presidential administration (2008–2016), the removal of those coal regulations (2016-current), and even the natural gas boom (2008-current) have had no effect on anthracite production. Anthracite coal has actually remained fairly stable for the past 16 years.
The simple reason for this being, anthracite coal is too expensive to be used for electrical production [1].
After World War 2 coal use throughout the country entered a steep decline. Coal was replaced on virtually every level by oil and gas. Steamships, trains, industry, and heating all shifted away from coal power. Coal production however was saved by America’s rising demand for electricity after the 1973 oil crisis [1].
Anthracite’s inability to be used to generate electricity left it at the mercy of its use as a residential heating source, the largest use for anthracite coal today [1]. Unlike the rest of the country’s coal, the end use for anthracite coal is not regulated by the federal or state government. Residents are freely able to install a coal fired furnace and burn as much coal as they please. This has allowed for anthracite production to stabilize after 1980.
The only government regulations that have significantly affected anthracite coal production in our region occurred from 2000–2003. During this time the Mine Safety and Health Administration began to increase air ventilation violations in the northeast [1]. These violations caused 48 mines to close from 2000 to 2003 [1]. These mines were primarily family-owned companies whose foreclosure went largely unnoticed by the large media outlets[1]. Since then the coal production has stabilized once more.
One might ask if there was such a large market for electrical generation prior to 2012 then why have anthracite providers not been able to lower the price of coal?
Although the Anthracite Coal Region has only mined half of all the anthracite coal deposits in the region, the remaining anthracite is extremely difficult to extract [1]. The fact that the coal is difficult to extract makes our coal on average 6.5 times as expensive as the sub-bituminous coal of Wyoming [1]. Anthracite coal is actually the most expensive coal you can buy [1].
As stated clearly for the aforementioned reasons anthracite coal is physically and economically prevented from increasing in sale and production due to the challenges presented with mining and competition from western coal and natural gas. Economics and innovation are to blame for the decline in anthracite, not politics.
Energy production in Schuylkill County
Although anthracite coal production will remain stable in the county, the true economic engine lies in environmental stewardship and renewable energy.
There are four coal fired electric power plants in Schuylkill County, but surprisingly these coal plants don’t run on the anthracite coal the county currently produces, they actually run on pollution [1].
These electric plants are unique in that they burn waste coal produced from coal mining that occurred decades, even centuries ago. This waste coal or “culm” is a byproduct of coal production that plagued the county. Millions of tons of waste coal littered the landscape creating a post-volcanic scenery. This culm also creates a phenomenon known as acid mine drainage. Acid mine drainage releases heavy metals such as copper, lead, mercury, iron, and aluminum from culm piles or abandoned coal mines into the region’s waterways [1][2][3]. The dissolved iron from acid mine drainage is the culprit of Schuylkill County’s unique orange streams. Once this culm is burned the ash created from it is used to reclaim thousands of acres of ravaged strip mined land in the county [1][2].
These four “cogeneration” plants have a combined output of 238.5 megawatts, enough electricity to power around 185 thousand homes, making Schuylkill County a huge electricity exporter [1] [2] [3].
These power plants allow the county to create over a hundred jobs, remove millions of tons of waste coal yearly, and reclaim hundreds of acres of land. This is the biggest untold story of the county.
These plants however, are not immune to market forces. The greatest challenge facing Schuylkill County’s waste coal fleet continues to be low natural gas and renewable prices [1]. It is this very competition that closed the county’s fifth waste coal plant, the Kline Cogeneration Facility. The CEO of the company operating the coal plant, Vistra Energy, said in an interview with CNBC that the reason for the closing of the coal plant was that “Coal is less competitive as an energy source with cheaper options, like natural gas and renewable energy, on the market” [1]. The company has since closed down similar plants in Texas and has invested in renewable energy. It is unlikely, yet not impossible that the remaining facilities could also close from competition.
What does the future hold for Schuylkill County’s Energy Production?
The Energy Information Administration’s 2019 outlook for the next thirty years predicts that natural gas and renewables will continue to rise while coal and nuclear decline or stabilize [1]. Seeing that there are currently no natural gas pipelines that go through or near Schuylkill County, the county should act in order to secure its energy security for the future [1].
Schuylkill County has made great strides in protecting its energy security by becoming a huge renewable energy producer. Twenty five percent of the county’s electrical production currently comes from renewables [1]. Wind power is the largest producer accounting for 80% of the renewable energy output while solar and biomass account for 20% [1]. The Locust Ridge wind turbines in the north of the county produce enough electricity for 37,500 homes — as much electricity as Frackville’s Westwood waste coal plant [1][2].
While it is true that wind and solar provide far less employment opportunities and are less consistent than coal energy, investments in solar, biomass, and wind could continue to help give the county low electricity prices and thousands in tax revenue for future decades [1][2]. While not a full substitute for coal power, renewables can allow the county to maintain a large part of its energy independence and tax revenue in the future by creating a dynamic energy grid from wind, biomass and solar.
Conclusion
The state of coal production in Schuylkill County is stable and unfortunately it is clear that regardless of political will or policy it will not be the massive economic engine it once was. The residents of Schuylkill County will continue to identify as a coal community that fueled a nation far after the last mine is closed, but we must always be wise and look towards real solutions and adapt to change. With a combined renewable energy and waste coal fleet Schuylkill County can continue to be energy independent and an energy exporter in the future.
