Electricity is made at a fossil plant by burning coal, which heats water in a boiler to produce steam. The steam, under a lot of pressure, flows into a turbine, and the turbine spins a generator to make electricity.

• Coal is readily available and inexpensive, but its supply will eventually become depleted. The largest coal reserves are in the U.S, followed by Russia, China, India and Australia. The Middle-East, by comparison, only contains 1.7% of the world's reserves. This distribution combined with the low cost has made coal a very attractive option to oil, both for developed and emerging countries.
• Burning coal pollutes the air because it is carbon rich and contains many impurities. Technology is being developed to burn coal more cleanly and efficiently to reduce emissions and its environmental impact, however, coal will never be emission free.