Energy - Wind Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment - page 24

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20

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5

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0 1000 2000 3000 4000

FIGURE 2.8 Fossil fuel exploration and use in human history from year 0 to 4000. Compare this graph with
Figure 2.7 .

The World Coal Institute estimates that U.S. coal reserves will last 200 years. Does that 200 years
include increased production of coal, as coal producers want to increase their share of the energy
market? Of course use of coal produces pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. For more infor-
mation, go to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, or for the industry viewpoint, www.
wci-coal.com .
In the long term, the use of fossil fuels could be called the fickle finger of fate (Figure 2.8).
The earth is close to the midpoint of the 400-year age of fossil fuels as the major energy source.
Also, global climatic change due to consumption of fossil fuels will have a major impact on
civilization.

2.7 NUCLEAR
The first commercial plant was built in 1957, and as of 2008 [9] there were 443 nuclear power plants in
the world, with an installed capacity of 365 GW (production, 2,659 TWH; 2006 data) and 104 plants
in the United States (installed capacity, 106 GW; production, 788 TWH). They provide around 15%
of global electricity, with the largest percentage being France at 78%. The United States has not built
any new nuclear plants in a number of years, and the percent of the U.S. electricity has declined from
23 to 20% as new electric plants are primarily fired by natural gas (Table 2.3). The U.S. nuclear plants

TABLE 2.3
Percent by Fuel Type for Electric Generation
in the United States, 2005

Type %

Coal 50

Nuclear 19

Natural gas 19

Oil 2

Renewables a 10

Source: Data from EIA.
a Most renewable is hydro, although wind has been increasing.