Western coal is one energy source capable of meeting governmental clean air regulations when burned to produce electric power. Projections show that 400 million tons of western coal will be burned in 1985, an amount almost equal to the total coal consumption for 1976. As much as 80 percent of this coal will be burned in new power generating facilities located west of the Mississippi River and will not be available to most of the nation's utilities. Because many coal contracts are written for the lifetime of power plants, most of the western coal which will be mined between now and the year 2,000 is already committed. Consequently, western coal may assume a more limited role than some have projected in solving the relatively short term energy problems of our country and the rest of the world.
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