Have we overestimated the US coal supply?

Question

An interesting article in Yahoo Green about this issue:

http://green.yahoo.com/index.php?q=node/1009

The problem is that we can't be sure how much of our coal supplies are realistically extractable. By conservative estimates, we have 77 years of coal reserves left at our current consumption rate.

Of course, our consumption rate has doubled over the past 50 years, but then again, ideally we'll be moving away from coal and toward renewable energy.

I thought this was interesting because many times I've seen people claim that we have hundreds of years of coal reserves left, but this may not be the case.

Thoughts?

Answer 1

I think it is much higher than the 77 years.

Don´t forget that the energy efficiency will also increase in the US as new large plants will be built according to best available technologies.

Do you know how many years GERMANY has of coal reserves left ? CLOSE TO 1000 YEARS !!!
(that doesn´t mean it is a good thing to use it)

Answer 2

I'll read the article but right off the bat. I would say just supporting new technologies ion light bulb development and other things that will just save the average con summer money., would be a good start into helping change the future. Everything is trial and error with a little bit of trust. Even where technology is concerned. Electricity is a necessity for most. So maybe research into hydroelectricity and other forms of generating electricity other than coal burning would be a good idea. Also forms of mass transit like an electromagnetic bullet train might not be bad either.

Answer 3

Proving reserves of coal (or oil reserves for that matter) is expensive. It requires a lot of work. Experience of reserves quoted in extractive industries suggests that proven reserve levels can increase substantially or remain constant over the years despite production over the years. When reserve levels are large, even pessimistically 70 years, who is going to spend large amounts of money converting indicative reserves into proven reserves? I think there is a bit of politics going on here.

Answer 4

It depends in part on what price we're willing to pay. Mining at great depths is difficult, dangerous and costly. Strip mining involves stripping the land of it's upper layers of soil to get a layer of coal that may be only a few inches think. They use these giant shovel machines that look like a great scoop pushed by a truck, but they are bigger than most houses. It's one of the most damaging things ever done to the land.

Answer 5

Your dealing with estimates that change with time and fluctuate as you your self demonstrated. When it happens it happens and they will find other sources of energy.