Posted by Ron Flory (66.58.197.239) on December 18, 2002 at 07:38:30:
In Reply to: Open Question To Group On Heat posted by Bob P on December 18, 2002 at 04:15:24:
The United States produces about 3800 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year and the demand is growing. Production is from six types of generation.
1) Coal 1968 BK
2) Nuclear 754 BK
3) Natural Gas 612 BK
4) Hydro 273 BK
5) Petroleum 109 BK
6) Green 84 BK
Since coal was the largest producer I'll us it for an example in the amount needed. A pound of coal supplies enough electricity to light ten 100 watt bulbs for about an hour. So one pound = 1 kilowatt, that comes out to 984 million tons of coal burned in one year for the U.S. alone.
The heat produced from the use of electricity is almost nothing compared to the wastes of it's production from fossil fuel.