ABSTRACT
Rising oil and gas prices, insecure energy supplies, and increased energy consumption in transition economies have boosted the use of coal—the most abundant fossil fuel and one that many countries have considerable reserves of. The United States, China, and some other countries are highly dependent on coal. In the United States, coal-powered plants generate more than half the electricity, and some observers expect that expanding the use of coal will help reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil.
