Jimmy Robertson
http://seekingalpha.com/article/3356775-the-keystone-state-is-the-key-to-the-future-of-coal
My group is thinking about doing our research project on the future of coal, namely in Pennsylvania. The largest deposits of bituminous and anthracite coal are found in eastern and western coal, respectively. There is enough coal in these deposits to sustain our current level of energy production for another 200 years. The problem is, however, by burning all of this coal we will continue to heat the atmosphere unsustainable. The Marcellus shale (also known as Pennsylvania) contains the most dense mineral concentration of coal in the world.
The consumption of coal is directly correlated with the price of natural gas, making the two substitute goods. The future of coal partially hinges on natural gas prices, which hinge on potential legislation passing in both the United States Congress as well as the Pennsylvania State House. Additionally, America is beginning to export higher and higher amounts of coal to developing countries as the energy source’s domestic popularity is decreasing quickly.
There are a couple of things that we know for sure. First, coal is a resource that supplies us with energy needed to sustain our high standard of living. Second, we aren’t going to run out of coal anytime soon (peak coal is predicted as being hundreds of years away). What we do not know is how a variety of factors will impact coal’s future in the next century. The future of coal will be dependent on legislation, popular opinion, alternatives, human population increase and a litany of additional factors. The future of coal will directly impact the future of the Pennsylvania economy.