What is coal?

All living plants store solar energy through a process known as photosynthesis. When plants die, this energy is usually released as the plants decay. Under conditions favourable to coal formation, the decaying process is interrupted, preventing the release of the stored solar energy. The energy is locked into the coal. read more

Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure. read more

Coal is a fossil fuel and is the altered remains of prehistoric vegetation that originally accumulated in swamps and peat bogs. The energy we get from coal today comes from the energy that plants absorbed from the sun millions of years ago. read more

Coal is a fossil fuel that was formed from once-living plants of various types. Coal and humankind have a long, intertwined history. The fossil fuel was even being used by cavemen, though its first extensive use was by the Roman Empire. Today, coal accounts for 94% of the United States' fossil fuel energy reserve. read more

Coal is a nonrenewable resource known as a fossil fuel. It's the most abundant fossil fuel we have. The four types of coal include peat, lignite, bituminous, and anthracite, with anthracite being most desirable due to its high heat content. read more