The Facts: On world stage, coal is U.S. strength

As economic development in China and India soars – along with their energy appetite – so does worldwide competition for energy, making it ever more important that we use our domestic resources as efficiently and judiciously as possible.

We’ve talked before about the plethora of energy options available to us, including renewable sources such as solar and wind. They both have their strengths – and they both have their weaknesses. For all their potential, these sources currently aren’t reliable enough to provide the always-on security that we need.

That’s why coal-generated electricity is so important.

Consider this fact:

•With more than 250 billion tons of recoverable coal reserves, the United States has more coal than the Middle East has oil.

We are fortunate to have the energy resources that so many others don’t. We have enough coal to power America’s homes and businesses at current rates for more than 200 years.

We have enough coal to power our schools, our hospitals, our streets and our ball fields. We have enough coal to provide America with the energy security it needs—now and well into the future.