Coal has been used as an energy source for hundreds of years and
was part of international trade in as long ago as the Roman
Empire. Coal provided the energy which fueled the Industrial
Revolution of the 19th Century and also launched the electric
era in the 20th Century. 37% of the electricity generated
worldwide is produced from coal. Coal is by far the cheapest
source of power fuel per million Btu, averaging less than half
the price of petroleum and natural gas. The world's iron and
steel industry depends on the use of coal. The value of coal
produced in the United States each year is nearly $20 billion.
Coal is directly responsible for the existence of more than
90,000 U.S. jobs and nearly one million jobs directly and
indirectly. Coal mining has a combined direct and indirect
impact of $161 billion annually on the U.S. economy. This is
$596 for every U.S. citizen. The federal government receives
more than $11 billion annually in taxes and fees from the coal
industry. State and local governments receive n