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is applied liberally, in the form of rock salt, to our roadways every winter.

Consumers viewing advertisements and commercials depicting tall stacks with billowing smoke may mistakenly think that the stunning display of steam on a winter's day contains excessive pollutants. It doesn't. Unfortunately, the American coal industry has no power over coal-fired plants in other parts of the world, some of which do not regulate emissions. Images from these foreign plants often mislead Americans into thinking our national coal-fired plants are emitting excessive pollution. They aren't.

Stability in the marketplace may be a forgotten term in today's widely fluctuating energy prices. Since the end of 2000, crude oil and natural gas prices have risen substantially, outpacing the cost of living. During the last quarter of 2008, the price of crude plummeted, finally offering some relief for budget-strapped consumers. However, the roller coaster ride does little to win the confidence of the American public. Coal, on the other hand, has remained a constant value for the past 60 years, its increases slow and steady, keeping pace with consumer wages.

With at least 200 years of easily available coal reserves within our own borders, an increased reliance on this valuable domestic energy resource would decrease our dependence on imported fuel. Both crude oil and Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) are produced in foreign nations and imported to the United States, putting us in the unenviable position of pumping billions of dollars into the pockets of Middle Eastern exporters, some with ties to dictatorships and terrorism.

It is wise to pursue alternate forms of energy but while our nation faces an energy crunch and a rising number of consumers can barely afford to heat their homes, this is the wrong time to phase out an abundant form of clean affordable energy. Instead, national investment in the future of clean coal will strengthen the core of our nation's security and allow consumers to stay warm when the outside temperatures drop.

Environmentalists would be wise to understand that there is nothing natural about natural gas. It, too, is a carbon fuel, extracted from the depths of the earth. It, too, leaves a carbon footprint. Natural gas, however, is more expensive to produce and as a result, consumers will pay as much as three times more for home energy costs than they will for electricity generated from coal.

With an extensive rail system in place to move the coal inexpensively and efficiently to the coal-fired plants, it's impossible to find a better bang for our buck. In addition, there is no down time when coal is supplying electricity to the energy grid. Wind energy production, on the other hand, drops or ceases entirely on a calm day. The energy grid does not store electricity, meaning a constant supply is needed. Coal can provide that constancy and, more importantly, it can provide it in a clean and affordable manner.

Learn more about this author, G Wallace Taylor.
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