Where does your electricity come from?

By Daniel

Electricity Lines at Sunset

Today’s coal ash sludge spill in Western Maryland reminds us that when we flip a light switch, turn on the TV, or fire up the computer, the energy is not miraculously grabbed out of thin air. Much of U.S. electricity still comes from coal. Much of that coal comes from the Appalachian mountains. You can see where the coal to provide your power comes from here:  (use the “What’s my connection to coal” zip code entry). In addition to the hazards to the local communities near the coal mines and the destruction of mountains in many of these situations, the spill of coal ash sludge reminds us that our use of electricity can have major consequences. Luckily, according the Associated Press, “most of the potentially toxic coal ash sludge that spilled from a ruptured pipeline stayed on the banks of the Potomac River and didn’t seep into the waters,” according to Maryland environmental officials.

In Maryland, as of November 2008, only 46 thousand of 3,478 thousand MWh of electricity produced come from renewables besides hydroelectric power. That means the vast majority of our electricity use also emits CO2 into the atmosphere. Maryland emitted 30,496,968 metric tons in 2006, about 5.4 metric tons per person (of any age) [U. S. Energy Information Administration]. That’s from electricity use alone; on average, a U.S. resident emits 20 metric tons a year from all activities [ScienceDaily.com].

As a consumer, you have choices to reduce your energy consumption, change your energy provider to one that offers more renewable energy, or purchase offsets to potentially negate the energy you do use. TerraLink and the Maryland Science Center are here to provide you with more information and resources on these topics.