Science of Coal – Economic Trade-Offs Simulation – Teacher

Summary

Students take on the role of an energy company deciding how to size a coal power plant and whether to install pollution controls, then calculate revenue, emissions penalties, and health and environmental costs to evaluate the full impact of their choices. The simulation uses real-world formulas and a calculations spreadsheet, making it a strong fit for APES or high school Earth science units on energy trade-offs. Includes a teacher guide with answer key and discussion prompts.