Alaska and coal
 |
|
This article is part of the Coal Issues portal on SourceWatch, a project of Global Energy Monitor and the Center for Media and Democracy. See here for help on adding material to CoalSwarm. |
Contents
Introduction
Alaska has abundant coal reserves, but production remains low in comparison to extraction of the state's natural gas and petroleum resources.Coal extraction accounts for about 20 percent of the entire mining industry in Alaska. In 2004, the state produced approximately 1.5 million short tons of coal worth approximately $30 million dollars, which ranked it 23rd in the nation in coal production. [1] All of this coal comes from the only active coal mine in Alaska, the Usibelli mine. Founded in 1943 outside Healy, Alaska, the mine sells coal to six state power plants as well as South Korea and several other Pacific Rim countries.[2]
Alaska relies more heavily on natural gas than coal for power generation. In 2004, the state consumed 393,000 short tons of coal for electrical power[1] to produce only 9 percent of its electricity; most of the state's power generation comes from natural gas. Alaska has the 7th highest average retail price of electricity at 12.84 cents per kilowatt hour.[3] In 2003, Alaska emitted 45 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, ranking it 37th in the nation overall. While the state's CO2 emissions are relatively low compared to other states, Alaska received the top ranking for per-person transportation emissions.[4]
Citizen activism
History
The first coal mine in Alaska was opened by the Russian-American company in 1855, while the region was a Russian territory. After the U.S. purchased Alaska in 1867, numerous other coal mines opened, and by 1900, production was about 3000 tons per year. Alaska mines provided only about 3 percent of the coal used in the state, with the rest coming from Canada and Washington. In the early 1900s, coal production increased to provide coal to the U.S. Navy, the Alaska Railroad, and developments at Fairbanks and Anchorage. In the late 1920s, Alaska produced about 100,000 short tons of coal; production increased to 700,000 short tons in the 1950s. After World War II, coal markets declined as military bases disipated and the Alaska Railroad converted to diesel-electric trains, and large deposits of oil and natural gas were discovered in Cook Inlet. Coal production ranged from 600,000 to 900,000 short tons until 1985, when it increased to 1.4 million short tons with the start of coal export to Korea.[5]
Legislative issues
Proposed coal plants
Cancelled
Citizen groups
- Cook Inletkeeper
- Castle Mountain Coalition
- Friends of Mat-Su
- MEA Ratepayers Alliance
- Sierra Club Alaska Chapter
- UtilityWatch
Coal lobbying groups
Power companies
Existing coal plants
Alaska is 46th in the nation in coal power generation, with 18 operating coal-fired power stations totaling 118 megawatts (MW).[6] None of these units is larger than 50MW.[7][8]
Major coal mines
Alaska has no major coal mines.[9]
Resources
References
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 Mining in Alaska, National Mining Assocation, accessed June 2008.
- ↑ Usibelli Coal Mine, Inc., accessed June 2008.
- ↑ "The Facts", America's Power, accessed June 2008.
- ↑ "Texas, Wyoming lead in emissions", USA Today, June 2, 2007.
- ↑ State Coal Profiles: Alaska, Energy Information Administration, January 1994.
- ↑ Existing U.S. Coal Plants
- ↑ Power Plants in Alaska, 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: Alaska, Energy Information Administration, January 1994
- Power Plants in Alaska
- Major U.S. Coal Mines, Energy Information Administration
