Energy Options: Coal (Part 2)

Part 2 - Coal and Communities

In the second part of this series about coal's future as an energy source in the U.S., Correspondent Stephanie Dhue journeys to Nevada to find out why a battle has erupted over plans to build a new coal plant near the city of Ely.



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External Links/Articles*

• Arizona State University (ASU) (Flash required)
  This links to a Flash tutorial about coal-fired power plants created by ASU's Fulton School of Engineering. Use the on-screen fast-forward buttons to explore different elements of the tutorial.
• Bristlecone Alliance
  The Bristlecone Alliance is a group of citizens in White Pine County, Nevada who are fighting against Sierra Pacific Resource's plan to build a coal energy plant in the city of Ely.
• Ely, Nevada
  Ely, Nevada is a city in White Pine County in Eastern Nevada. Sierra Pacific Resources wants to build its new coal energy plant in Ely. This links to one of the city's main websites, which contains information about tourism, business, and economic diversification.
• Energy Information Agency (EIA)
  The EIA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Energy. This links to the section of the agency's website that contains statistics about coal production and use in the United States.
• Sierra Pacific Resources
  Sierra Pacific Resources, a utility company, has proposed building new coal-fired power plants in Nevada. This links to the section of the company's website where you can find information about the Ely Energy Center project Stephanie Dhue profiles in her report.
• University of Nevada (PDF Document)
  This links to fact sheet authored by the University of Nevada's Cooperative Extension. The document is titled, "Trends in the Mining Industry State of Nevada and Eureka County".
• U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
  This links to an April 2007 press release issued by the DOJ titled, "Nevada Department of Environmental Protection and Federal Government Reach $90 Million Joint Settlement with Nevada Power." Nevada Power is the parent company of Sierra Pacific Resources, and the settlement described in this press release is mentioned in Stephanie Dhue's report.
• U.S. Senator Harry Reid
  As Stephanie Dhue explains in her report, Senator Harry Reid (D - Nevada) opposes building new coal power plants in Nevada and, instead, wants the focus on renewable energy. This links to a September 20, 2007 press release issued by the senator's office titled, "Reid Introduces Bill to Spur Nevada's Renewable Energy Industry."

*Clicking these external links will take you off the NBR web site on PBS.org. NBR has no affiliation with these sites.