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How much ash is left over from burning a megawatt hour of coal?

Coal ash is the fine powder that is left behind when coal is burned in power plants. Every year, well over 100 million tons of coal ash is created in the US, making it the country’s second largest waste stream, behind trash.

For each megawatt hour of electricity generated in a coal power plant, 185 pounds of coal is left over.

Download the full spreadsheet by clicking at the bottom right of the Excel document embedded above.

This analysis is referenced in Straight facts on the environmental impact of coal: CO2, pollution, land, and water.

Code: m103 GWhLbCoalAsh math xbMath