February 5, 1967
Nuclear power’s Loss is Coal’s Gain
A year ago, the future of coal looked grim. With the development of nuclear energy plants, coal was faced with the loss of its last big market. By burning fissionable materials, the power industry purchased less coal: 80
million tons of coal annually. But after Fermi, interest in coal-fired plants has grown. Several dozen new plants are now in the works across the United States to meet the void left by the halt in atomic plant construction. To meet the previously-unforeseen growth in demand for coal, coal-producing states like West Virginia and Kentucky are looking to boost production. Many factory workers displaced from Detroit suburbs like Taylor [1] and surrounding communities have returned to their former homes to work in Appalachia’s coal mines.
The surge in coal has revived the idea of building a trans-Alleghany coal barge canal, connecting the Ohio and James rivers. [2] Known as the James River and Kanawha Canal, it was originally conceived by none other than George Washington, but was never built. [3] Due to the mountainous terrain, such a canal would require many years and billions of dollars to build. However, with increasing demand for coal, such a monumental engineering feat may become economically feasible.
Currently, coal bound for the Atlantic is transported from West Virginia by rail to the port of Richmond, Virginia. The proposed canal would reduce carrying costs by $3 a ton. While this sounds like a miniscule savings, with half a billion tons of coal produced every year east of the Mississippi [4], this would be a massive reduction in costs for the coal industry.