Land Conversion
Weighing Environmental Tradeoffs
Coal
10% of Virginia’s energy is generated by burning coal sourced from Appalachia.
Mountaintop removal has blown the tops off of over 500 mountains to expose seams of coal, pushing the rubble into hollows, streams, and valleys. The EPA estimates that mountaintop removal “valley fills” have destroyed over 1 million acres of natural forest habitat and are responsible for burying more than 2,000 miles of streams in Appalachia. The exposed rock, pulled from deep within the earth, leaches heavy metals such as sulfate and selenium and increases the electrical conductivity of the water. These toxins harm plants, animals, and the communities living downstream from mines.
Fracked Gas
53% of Virginia’s energy is generated by burning natural gas.
The development of directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) created a boom in natural gas drilling in the U.S., flooding the market and pushing the price of natural gas to historic lows. Traditionally our fuel mix was closer to 50% coal and 10% natural gas, but the fracking boom flipped that around as cheap natural gas put uncompetitive coal plants out of business or forced them to retrofit to burn natural gas. Unfortunately, cheap natural gas comes with its own set of environmental damage. While natural gas is a cleaner burning fuel source than coal, it is primarily made of methane — a strong greenhouse gas. The methane in natural gas is burned off, called flaring, to remove it from the gas we use in our homes. Natural gas is highly flammable, so gas leaks can result in explosions.
Solar
1.2% of Virginia’s energy is produced from clean, emissions-free solar energy.
As reliable as the sun itself, solar technology is clean and simple. Exposed to the sun, photovoltaic (PV) cells directly convert light into electricity. The cells are made from silicon, the same element that makes sand. Silicon is the second most abundant element on the earth’s crust, meaning we have a virtually endless supply.
No pollution, no emissions, and no burning off toxic gases. As long as the sun keeps shining, we can produce energy.
