In 1882, the first coal power plant was made to produce electricity and was made by

Thomas Edison in London, England (Stephanie Pain, Nature). Coal is first mined out of the

ground and collected, and then it is transported to the power plant site. It is burned in a furnace,

which creates carbon dioxide and heat. The heat is used to boil water in a boiler, which produces

steam at high temperatures and pressures. This steam goes through a pipe to the turbine, where

the force of the steam is converted to mechanical power by turning a turbine. The steam then

condenses and returns to the boiler to repeat the cycle. The mechanical power that is produced

turns the turbine shaft that is connected to a generator, which has a rotor with a magnet

surrounded by copper coil. As the magnet spins, it creates a powerful magnetic field. It is lined

with electrons around the copper coils, there electrons then move in the wire creating electricity.

(johnzactruba, Bright Hub Engineering)

Coal energy production has pros, such as coal is an abundant source. Coal power plants

can produce electricity 24 hours, 7 days a week without interruption. They are also very efficient

and cheap, which allows for cheap energy. (Crystal Ayres, Green Garaje)

There are also many cons to coal energy production. Coal, when burned, releases a lot of

greenhouse gas emissions, which can harm people and the environment. With the use of

additional equipment and treatment processes, the release of these greenhouse gas emissions can

be reduced; however, this significantly increases the installation and operating costs of the plant,

which then significantly increases the cost of energy production. In addition, the proper method

of containing and disposing of the waste produced as a result of the treatment process is very

expensive as well, and it needs continuous monitoring. When coal is being mined for use in the

power plants, there are thousands of deaths year after year, which are from poor working
conditions and not following safety regulations. Mining for coal can also lead to water pollution.

(Crystal Ayres, Green Garaje)