Coal

Coal

Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure. Coal is composed primarily of carbon along with variable quantities of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.

Industry: Energy

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Coal

Electric expenses

Energy; Coal

The cost of labor, material, and expenses incurred in operating a facility's prime movers, generators, auxiliary apparatus, switching gear, and other electric equipment for each of the points where ...

Combined cycle

Energy; Coal

An electric generating technology in which electricity is produced from otherwise lost waste heat exiting from one or more gas (combustion) turbines. The exiting heat is routed to a conventional ...

Electric generation

Energy; Coal

See Gross generation and Net generation.

Combined cycle unit

Energy; Coal

An electric generating unit that consists of one or more combustion turbines and one or more boilers with a portion of the required energy input to the boiler(s) provided by the exhaust gas of the ...

Electric generation industry

Energy; Coal

Stationary and mobile generating units that are connected to the electric power grid and can generate electricity. The electric generation industry includes the "electric power sector" (utility ...

Combined heat and power (CHP) plant

Energy; Coal

A plant designed to produce both heat and electricity from a single heat source. Note: This term is being used in place of the term "cogenerator" that was used by EIA in the past. CHP better ...

Electric generator

Energy; Coal

A facility that produces only electricity, commonly expressed in kilowatthours (kWh) or megawatthours (MWh). Electric generators include electric utilities and independent power producers.