Future of coal

back to the bit coal power plants. it is a shame mr epa is attacking them. they would have generated alot of work all across the country. instead they are investing money in energy management instead of fixing the real problem. but i dont think either canidate likes coal. romney shut down a coal power plant in mass. so to say he backs coal is questionable. im with steam up i think anthracite will fly under the radar as politicians have named it "clean coal." however it would be just my luck to finally save up enough $$$$ to buy a coal boiler, do my conversion, and then some stupid political nonsense happens, skyrockets the price of coal and the savings is no longer what it was when i started....

NoSmoke wrote:I started burning coal in 1994 here in Maine, and back then bulk coal was $150 per ton for nut coal.

Today it is $354 per ton in bulk, so it has gone up quite a bit. But in comparison firewood, propane and oil have gone up a lot more.

My father went with a big pellet boiler, but to be honest with you, I think that was a huge mistake. It is inefficient in my opinion and a 40 pound bag of coal weighs the same as a 40 pound bag of pellets, and when he bought his pellet boiler, that was why he did so...so in case he died, my Mom could still fill the pellet hopper. I feel strongly he should have gone with coal.

Very sad that you pay $354 a ton! I live in central Aroostook County and can get bulk coal delivered for $285 ton and bagged for $300!

$240 a ton delivered here.

$350 a ton for rice coal in Baileyville, delivered from Gouldsboro...Still bettter than supporting opec...

You have the comparison charts.....coal to be equivalent to oil is.................. 600 a ton. That should be enough to get your attention.

I agree. The price of coal is more subject to the cost of transporting it (gas/diesel) than it is to politics (taxes/regulations).

Nonetheless I would not be shocked if some politician became irritated that people are able to heat their homes cheaply and off the grid ( no electric needed for hand fired), and decided some type of incentive to go to a more green alternative was needed.

Probably not though. I think we are under the radar for at least several more years.

steamup wrote:The political forces are going after powerplants, mountain top mining, etc. mainly to due with Bit Coal. However, the Marcellus and Utica shale gas deposits have done more damage to the coal industry. Cheap gas has utilities changing to natural gas for generation and idling the coal plants.

Anthracite will plug along in my opinion, subject to diesel fuel prices and demand for steel production.