Introduction to Coal – Video
Summary
Introduction to Coal
This video introduces students to coal, one of the most widely used energy resources in the world and a major source of electricity in many countries. Coal has played a central role in industrial development because it is widely available, relatively easy to mine, transport, and store, and can generate large amounts of electricity at a low cost.
Students learn that coal is commonly used to generate electricity by burning it to produce heat. The heat boils water to create steam, which spins a turbine connected to a generator that produces electricity for the power grid. Because coal is abundant in many countries and the technology used to generate electricity from coal is well established, coal has historically been one of the most affordable sources of electricity.
The video also explores why affordable electricity has been important for economic development. Lower-cost electricity can make goods, services, and infrastructure more affordable, which has helped many countries expand access to energy and support economic growth.
Students also examine several challenges associated with coal. Coal mining can have environmental and safety risks, and burning coal releases pollutants into the air as well as large amounts of ash that must be managed. Coal combustion also produces significant carbon dioxide emissions compared with many other energy sources.
While some modern coal plants include technologies designed to capture certain pollutants, these technologies are not used everywhere. As a result, coal remains one of the most debated energy sources when considering environmental impacts and future energy systems.
By exploring both the advantages and challenges of coal, students gain a better understanding of how this energy resource has shaped electricity generation around the world and why discussions about future energy systems often involve evaluating the role of coal.
This resource supports lessons on fossil fuels, electricity generation, energy systems, and environmental science, helping students evaluate the tradeoffs involved in different energy resources.
Pair this video with the Introduction to Coal lesson to deepen understanding on how coal is used as an energy source. For a more advanced look, check out our Science of Coal lesson and video.
If You Arrived from SwitchOn.OrgYou may have reached this page through an older Switch Energy Alliance link. Our classroom videos and lesson materials now live on the updated Switch Classroom platform.
This version reflects our current resource library and is supported by full lesson plans, student guides, and classroom-ready activities.
To explore related resources, use the Resource Library or check out our full Video Library.
Transcript:
[Dr. Scott W. Tinker] Here are the two words you need to know about coal: it’s cheap and it’s dirty. It’s cheap because it’s available. Nearly every major country has an available domestic coal reserve. And it’s easy. Easy to mine, easy to transport, easy to store, and easy to turn into electricity. Burn coal to boil water, and the steam turns a generator. Available and easy means cheap. Coal electricity is the cheapest in the world, and cheap is a very big benefit, especially where people can’t afford anything else. And because electricity goes into every product and service, affordable electricity makes everything else more affordable. That means that the biggest benefit of coal is that it can help lift developing countries out of poverty. But coal has some big downsides, too, and the biggest is that it’s dirty. Mining coal can be pretty clean, but in most places, it’s dirty and dangerous. And burning it produces pollutants and huge volumes of ash. The best coal plants capture some of this, but most don’t, and there are only a few coal plants in the world that capture and sequester some of their CO2. This means that burning coal produces significant CO2 emissions. That’s what you need to know about coal. It’s cheap, making everything else affordable. But it’s dirty, causing environmental damage everyday. Knowing that, will the world end up using more of it?