Environmental Damage from Coal Costs U.S. $62 Billion Annually

Burning coal in the U.S. causes about $62 billion a year in “hidden costs” for environmental damage – and that’s not including expenses related to global warming – according to a report from the National Academy of Sciences requested by Congress.

Environmental groups said costs would be much higher if the costs of greenhouse gas emissions had been included: coal-fired power plants are the largest single source of greenhouse gases in the U.S., emitting a ton of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour of electricity produced.

The Academy was asked to define and evaluate the external expenses and benefits associated with production, distribution and use of energy that were not reflected in market prices. The study calculated the costs of air pollutants from energy on crop and timber yields, human health, recreation and visibility of outdoor vistas.