"King Coal"?

What's needed to promote use of Anthracite coal is more public education. What many know is that much of America's electricity is produced using dirty coal, but hey don't know the difference between Bituminous and the cleaner Anthracite coal. They especially don't know the 2/3 of the BTU content in coal is lost when it is used for producing electricity. The public and our political leaders need to know that burning the coal in homes directly for heat uses much less coal that using the coal to make electricity. That translates into up to 2/3 less CO2 production. Good for everyone, less global warming, less cost to the homeowner, less spent on foreign oil, etc. It's a no-brainer. But it's not being told. The Anthracite coal producers and the Anthracite stove, boiler and furnace builders need to form a trade association and tell the story. They need a lobbyist in Washington, DC.

Yanche wrote:What's needed to promote use of Anthracite coal is more public education. . . . 2/3 of the BTU content in coal is lost when it is used for producing electricity. . . . burning the coal in homes directly for heat uses much less coal that using the coal to make electricity. That translates into up to 2/3 less CO2 production. Good for everyone, less global warming, less cost to the homeowner, less spent on foreign oil, etc. It's a no-brainer. But it's not being told. The Anthracite coal producers and the Anthracite stove, boiler and furnace builders need to form a trade association and tell the story. They need a lobbyist in Washington, DC.

Why not give people credits for switching to coal?

stockingfull wrote:

Yanche wrote:What's needed to promote use of Anthracite coal is more public education. . . . 2/3 of the BTU content in coal is lost when it is used for producing electricity. . . . burning the coal in homes directly for heat uses much less coal that using the coal to make electricity. That translates into up to 2/3 less CO2 production. Good for everyone, less global warming, less cost to the homeowner, less spent on foreign oil, etc. It's a no-brainer. But it's not being told. The Anthracite coal producers and the Anthracite stove, boiler and furnace builders need to form a trade association and tell the story. They need a lobbyist in Washington, DC.

Why not give people credits for switching to coal?

The only people credits needed are credits for using their brain cells. Like I said it's a no-brainer. If the government gets involved it will be in a negative way, the existing oil and coal lobbies will find a way to outlaw residential burning of coal. Smoke pollution, ash disposal, etc. The Anthracite coal industry, miners and equipment producers need a trade group and lobbyists. Unfortunately, that's the way the system works.

What I don't especially understand is why the PA politicians haven't jumped on this. PA is strategically located close to millions of potential customers. The PA coal regions have been economically depressed for decades and given only political promises seldom filled. It's believed by some that the A-A boiler design was designed by Penn State University in the late 40's. An attempt by PA government to reverse the decline of the residential coal industry as oil took over. Technology has come a long way in the last 50 years. It is possible to burn Anthracite coal cleanly. Get Penn State or Lehigh University to design an boiler based on the A-A heat exchanger principle with modern electronic feedback controls. Adapt the wideband oxygen sensors used on gasoline engines to measure coal flue exhaust and in a feedback system adjust combustion air. Lots of potential to develop an excellent low CO2 footprint boiler that uses domestic fuel

Come on guys just do it. Stockingfull use your lawyering skills to create the trade association. Coaltrol, EFM, AHS, A-A get together and produce something new, not the same 50 year old designs. Get busy America needs it. I'll be your technical adviser for free!

Yanche wrote:The only people credits needed are credits for using their brain cells. Like I said it's a no-brainer. If the government gets involved it will be in a negative way,

Our government sees fit to give huge tax breaks to the major oil companies that are ruining this country with their greed! Why not give us little homeowners a break for a change? (answer: Because we don't slip them $$$$$ under the table or "donate" huge sums to their election campaigns)

"What many know is that much of America's electricity is produced using dirty coal, but hey don't know the difference between Bituminous and the cleaner Anthracite coal."

I would caution against pissing off bituminous coal users and interests. talk about suicide. the coal industry needs to stand as a whole against this green stupidity, global cliamate change myth, and other serious threats to the industry and thus consumers, and this country.

Berlin wrote:"What many know is that much of America's electricity is produced using dirty coal, but hey don't know the difference between Bituminous and the cleaner Anthracite coal."

I would caution against pissing off bituminous coal users and interests. talk about suicide. the coal industry needs to stand as a whole against this green stupidity, global cliamate change myth, and other serious threats to the industry and thus consumers, and this country.

I agree unreasonable environment standards would be harmful to the bituminous coal burning industry. But global warming is not a myth, it's real and it continues. What is up for debate is how much of it is caused by human activity. A fully vetted scientific answered to that is not yet here. Given the current rate of global warming one can make scientific predictions about what would happen. Most results are not desirable. Like with all debates and predictions, people cherry pick the data to support their views.

My point is only to point out the burning Anthracite coal in current boiler products creates less CO2 than using electricity to produce residential heating. And with new feedback modern control it could be less. The industry needs to step up and create such products. I believe is should be market driven, perhaps with some government development incentives. The coal appliance industry could promote tax incentives right now. How many coal stoves do you know that are "Energy Star" rated. None. The industry has not developed, tested and certified any such products. Why? Why didn't tax breaks for coal appliances get written into IRS regulations for energy tax breaks. Why? No industry lobby in Washington, that's why. Get on the stick, residential coal heating industry!

"But global warming is not a myth, it's real and it continues. What is up for debate is how much of it is caused by human activity."

No, global warming is a myth. what is occuring is simply a cliamate correction, and soon it too will disipate. Human activity has an insignificant effect when measured against other external factors such as the sun etc.

anthracite coal @ 70% efficiency/ 95% carbon

bituminous coal @ 40% efficiency/ 60% carbon

which is going to produce more co2??
anth is 1.4H and bit is 1.5H, not a sizable difference by any means

Yanche wrote:Why didn't tax breaks for coal appliances get written into IRS regulations for energy tax breaks. Why? No industry lobby in Washington, that's why. Get on the stick, residential coal heating industry!

That's why I wrote my Senators & Reps to introduce such a bill, at least until more "eco-friendly" fuel is available. I suggest everyone write theirs! (costs nothing & takes 2 minutes!)

DON'T WE HAVE LOBBYISTS????

The last thing I want is the government involved with coal. The f*ck up everything they touch. I'm perfectly happy to save 2K a year on fuel oil without their involvement. Get them invloved and we'll be paying an excess carbon tax!

coalkirk hit the nail on the head, save money on your own the last thing you would want is gov't involvement.

Point well taken. Besides, the more people who burn coal, the more expensive it'll be.

I'll take my chances & the tax credit!

( the way I figure it, if the tax credit is for all solid fuel burners & fuel, most people will go for wood or pellets due to the misconception of coal being dirty. The small increase in coal demand will cause a slight rise in coal prices but it should be more than offset by the tax credit. Sorry guys......The damage is already done in that I already wrote my reps & they always do what I tell them too! )

I doubt very much that you will ever see tax credits for solid fuel appliances.

coaledsweat wrote:I doubt very much that you will ever see tax credits for solid fuel appliances.

You're probably right......makes too much sense!