The most abundant energy source in our world is coal. Coal-fired power generation comes with significant costs to environment and human health. The water runoff from coal washeries carries pollution loads of heavy metals that contaminate ground water, rivers, and lakes e thus affecting aquatic flora and fauna. Fly-ash residue and pollutants contaminate soil and are especially harmful to agricultural activities. Most importantly for human health, combustion of coal releases emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and various trace metals like mercury, into the air through stacks that can disperse this pollution over large areas. All educated people in the world are worried about the environmental problems caused by coal based power plants. The burning of coal adds mainly to increase acid rain and hence increase air pollution which in turn is a cause of global warming, harm to flora and fauna and damage of property. Environmental regulations for coal-fired power plants in the world cover a comprehensive range of very tedious requirements. New regulations were implemented from 2014 in China, USA and European Union which fixed the `emission limits¿ very low for SO2 , NOx, mercury particulate for coal-fired power generation plants. Now it is the time to evaluate emission control technologies whether the technologies can be helpful in achieving the new lower emission limits. Coal-fired Electricity and Emissions Control covers innovative trends and reviews dealing emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitric oxide (NO) from thermal power plants and its control strategy. The analysis shows that aggressive pollution control regulations such as mandating flue gas desulfurization, introduction and tightening of emission standards for all criteria pollutants, and updating procedures for environment impact assessments, are imperative for regional clean air and to reduce health impacts. It presents insights into the coal fired power plants using modern technologies pollute less than firstborn designs due to these new technologies that filter the flue gases in stacks; however various pollutants are still being emitted in several times higher amounts than natural gas based and other power plants.

Coal-Fired Electricity and Emissions Control: Efficiency and Effectiveness discusses the relationship between efficiency and emissions management, providing methods for reducing emissions in newer and older plants as coal-fired powered plants are facing increasing new emission control standards. The book presents the environmental forces driving technology development for coal-fired electricity generation, then covers other topics, such as cyclone firing, supercritical boilers, fabric filter technology, acid gas control technology and clean coal technologies. The book relates efficiency and environmental considerations, particularly from a technology development perspective. Features time tested methods for achieving optimal emission control through efficiency for environmental protection, including reducing the carbon footprint Covers the regulations governing coal-fired electricity Highlights the development of the coal-fired technologies through regulatory change

Coal will continue to provide a major portion of energy requirements in the United States for at least the next several decades. It is imperative that accurate information describing the amount, location, and quality of the coal resources and reserves be available to fulfill energy needs. It is also important that the United States extract its coal resources efficiently, safely, and in an environmentally responsible manner. A renewed focus on federal support for coal-related research, coordinated across agencies and with the active participation of the states and industrial sector, is a critical element for each of these requirements. Coal focuses on the research and development needs and priorities in the areas of coal resource and reserve assessments, coal mining and processing, transportation of coal and coal products, and coal utilization.