Louisiana and coal
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Contents
Introduction
Coal production is a relatively minor part of the Louisiana economy. All of Louisiana's coal is lignite, and commercial production is based in the northwestern part of the state.[1] In 2004, the state produced approximately 3.8 million short tons of coal, worth approximately $75.8 million dollars, which ranked it 19th in the nation in coal production.[2]
Louisiana relies more heavily on natural gas than coal for power generation. In 2004, the state consumed close to 16 million short tons of coal for electrical power[2] to produce approximately 27 percent of its electricity. The state's average retail price of electricity is 8.3 cents per kilowatt hour, the 20th highest rate in the nation.[3] In 2003, Louisiana emitted 179 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, ranking it 10th in the nation overall.[4]
Citizen activism
History
Lignite was discovered in Louisiana around 1812 and was used on a small scale to provide fuel for blacksmiths, steamboats, railroads, and domestic heating.[5] Underground mining efforts proved difficult because of the nature of the geological strata and a lack of markets to make the endeavor profitable. In the 1900s, Louisiana's oil and gas resources overtook any remaining interest in lignite deposits.[1]
Until the energy shortage of the 1970s, Louisiana relied predominantly on natural gas for power generation. In the early 1980s, Louisiana began buying large amounts of coal from other states for power generation, mainly from Wyoming, and in the mid 1980s began burning its own lignite.[1] The first coal-fired power plant was built in 1981.[5] The first permit for surface lignite mining was issued in 1983 for the Dolet Hills Lignite Mine in the DeSoto Parish, and commercial operation began in 1985. Four years later, the Oxbow Lignite Mine in Red River Parish began operating. By the 1990s the two mines were producing over 3 million tons of lignite per year,[6] and the percentage of the state's power generated by coal had increased from about 3.5% to over 35%.[5]
In the 1990s, the Louisiana government began to promote natural gas again as a means of stimulating job creation in its declining oil and gas industries. The state legislature passed a resolution in 1992 calling on the Louisiana Public Service Commission to research the feasibility of requiring new power plants to use natural gas and existing plants to convert to natural gas. However, cost estimates proved exorbitant, and the LSPC concluded that fuel choice should be focused on providing the lowest electricity rates for customers.[5]
Legislative issues
Proposed coal plants
Active
Citizen groups
- Alliance for Affordable Energy
- Gulf Restoration Network
- Louisiana Environmental Action Network
- Sierra Club Delta Chapter
Coal lobbying groups
Power companies
- Cleco Power
- Entergy
- Louisiana Generating, a division of NRG
Existing coal plants
Louisiana is 31st in the nation in coal power generation, with 6 operating coal-fired power stations totaling 6,136 megawatts (MW).[7] All of these 6 units are larger than 50MW.[8][9]
| Plant Name | Owner | Capacity | Year(s) Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dolet Hills | Cleco | 720MW | 1986 |
| Rodemacher | Cleco | 558MW | 1982 |
| R.S. Nelson | Entergy | 615MW | 1982 |
| Big Cajun 2 | NRG | 1871MW | 1981, 1982, 1983 |
Major coal mines
Louisiana has no major coal mines.[10]
Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 State Coal Profiles: Louisiana, Energy Information Administration, January 1994.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mining in Louisiana, National Mining Association, accessed June 2008.
- ↑ "The Facts", America's Power, accessed June 2008.
- ↑ "Texas, Wyoming lead in emissions", USA Today, June 2, 2007.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Coal and Lignite in Louisiana, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, May 14, 1993.
- ↑ History of Lignite Development in Louisiana, Louisiana Office of Conservation, October 10, 2006.
- ↑ Existing U.S. Coal Plants
- ↑ Power Plants in Louisiana, Powerplantjobs.com, accessed June 2008.
- ↑ Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2005, Energy Information Administration website, accessed May 2008.
- ↑ Major U.S. Coal Mines, Energy Information Administration, 2006.
Related SourceWatch articles
- Existing U.S. Coal Plants
- US proposed coal plants (both active and cancelled)
- Cancelled coal plant proposals
- Coal plants cancelled in 2007
- Coal plants cancelled in 2008
- Active coal plant proposals
External links
- State Coal Profiles: Louisiana, Energy Information Administration, January 1994
- Power Plants in Louisiana
- Major U.S. Coal Mines, Energy Information Administration
