42.Coal-fired power plants
The invention of the incandescent1 light bulb by Thomas A. Edison in 1879 created a demand for a cheap, readily available fuel with which to generate large amounts of electric power. Coal seemed to fit the bill, and it fueled the earliest power stations. (which were set up at the end of the nineteenth century by Edison himself). As more power plants were constructed throughout the country, the reliance on coal increased throughout the country, the reliance on coal increased. Since the First World War, coal-fired power plants had a combined in the United States each year. In 1986 such plants had a combined generating capacity of 289,000 megawatts and consumed 83 percent of the nearly 900 million tons of coal mined in the country that year. Given the uncertainty2 in the future growth of the nearly 900 million tons of coal mined in the country that year. Given the uncertainty in the future growth of nuclear power and in the supply of oil and natural gas, coal-fired power plants could well provide up to 70 percent of the electric power in the United States by the end of the century.
Yet, in spite of the fact that coal has long been a source of electricity and may remain on for many years(coal represents about 80 percent of United States fossil-fuel reserves), it has actually never been the most desirable fossil fuel for power plants. Coal contains less energy per unit of weight than weight than natural gas or oil; it is difficult to transport, and it is associated with a host of environmental issues, among them acid rain. Since the late 1960’s problems of emission3 control and waste disposal have sharply reduced the appeal of coal-fired power plants. The cost of ameliorating these environment problems along with the rising cost of building a facility as large and complex as a coal-fired power plant, have also made such plants less attractive from a purely4 economic perspective.
Changes in the technological5 base of coal-fired power plants could restore their attractiveness, however. Whereas some of these changes are intended mainly to increase the productivity of existing plants, completely new technologies for burning coal cleanly are also being developed.
火力發(fā)電廠托馬斯?愛迪生1879年發(fā)明的白熾燈導(dǎo)致對(duì)便宜、易得、可生產(chǎn)大量電能的燃料的需求。
煤似乎符合這個(gè)要求，并成為第一批電廠的燃料(正是愛迪生本人在19世紀(jì)末建造了第一批電廠)。全國到處興建電廠時(shí)，對(duì)煤的依賴加深了。
自第一次世界大戰(zhàn)以來，美國每年約有一半的電力是以煤為燃料的電廠提供的。1986年這些電廠的總發(fā)電能力達(dá)到28，900
千瓦并且消耗了當(dāng)年全國開采的九億噸煤的83%?？紤]到核能發(fā)展以及石油、天然氣供應(yīng)中的不確定因素，到本世紀(jì)末，火力發(fā)電廠仍可能為美國提供多達(dá)
70%的電力。然而，盡管煤長期以來一直是電力的原料之一并且可能會(huì)繼續(xù)如此(煤占美國化石燃料儲(chǔ)量的80%)，它卻不是電廠的理想燃料。
煤的單位能量含量低于石油和天然氣，而且會(huì)導(dǎo)致包括酸雨在內(nèi)的一系列環(huán)境問題。從1960年以來，排放控制和垃圾處理的問題極大地
削弱了燃煤電廠的魅力。由于減輕這些環(huán)境問題需要大量資金，而且建造龐大復(fù)雜的燃煤電廠的費(fèi)用不斷上漲，也使得這些電廠從經(jīng)濟(jì)角度上不具備吸引力。
改變火力發(fā)電廠的基礎(chǔ)技術(shù)卻可能恢復(fù)它們的吸引力。雖然某些技術(shù)改進(jìn)是漸進(jìn)的，其目的只是提高現(xiàn)有電廠的生產(chǎn)率，但人們正在開發(fā)全新的清潔燃煤的技術(shù)。
點(diǎn)擊收聽單詞發(fā)音收聽單詞發(fā)音
1 incandescent
adj.遇熱發(fā)光的， 白熾的，感情強(qiáng)烈的
參考例句：
The incandescent lamp we use in daily life was invented by Edison.我們?nèi)粘Ｉ钪杏玫陌谉霟?，是愛迪生發(fā)明的。
The incandescent quality of his words illuminated the courage of his countrymen.他熾熱的語言點(diǎn)燃了他本國同胞的勇氣。
2 uncertainty
n.易變，靠不住，不確知，不確定的事物
參考例句：
Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批評(píng)將會(huì)使局勢更加不穩(wěn)定。
After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6個(gè)星期的忐忑不安后，壓力開始產(chǎn)生影響了。
3 emission
n.發(fā)出物，散發(fā)物；發(fā)出，散發(fā)
參考例句：
Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取嚴(yán)格有力措施，降低污染物排放總量。
Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低顆粒排放的方向。
4 purely
adv.純粹地，完全地
參考例句：
I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我?guī)退兇馐浅鲇谟亚椤?BR> This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.這證明認(rèn)為兒童只會(huì)單純地模仿的理論是站不住腳的。
5 technological
adj.技術(shù)的；工藝的
參考例句：
A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必須得跟上技術(shù)變革的步伐。
Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.當(dāng)今， 隨著科技進(jìn)步，生活節(jié)奏不斷增快。
The invention of the incandescent1 light bulb by Thomas A. Edison in 1879 created a demand for a cheap, readily available fuel with which to generate large amounts of electric power. Coal seemed to fit the bill, and it fueled the earliest power stations. (which were set up at the end of the nineteenth century by Edison himself). As more power plants were constructed throughout the country, the reliance on coal increased throughout the country, the reliance on coal increased. Since the First World War, coal-fired power plants had a combined in the United States each year. In 1986 such plants had a combined generating capacity of 289,000 megawatts and consumed 83 percent of the nearly 900 million tons of coal mined in the country that year. Given the uncertainty2 in the future growth of the nearly 900 million tons of coal mined in the country that year. Given the uncertainty in the future growth of nuclear power and in the supply of oil and natural gas, coal-fired power plants could well provide up to 70 percent of the electric power in the United States by the end of the century.
Yet, in spite of the fact that coal has long been a source of electricity and may remain on for many years(coal represents about 80 percent of United States fossil-fuel reserves), it has actually never been the most desirable fossil fuel for power plants. Coal contains less energy per unit of weight than weight than natural gas or oil; it is difficult to transport, and it is associated with a host of environmental issues, among them acid rain. Since the late 1960’s problems of emission3 control and waste disposal have sharply reduced the appeal of coal-fired power plants. The cost of ameliorating these environment problems along with the rising cost of building a facility as large and complex as a coal-fired power plant, have also made such plants less attractive from a purely4 economic perspective.
Changes in the technological5 base of coal-fired power plants could restore their attractiveness, however. Whereas some of these changes are intended mainly to increase the productivity of existing plants, completely new technologies for burning coal cleanly are also being developed.
火力發(fā)電廠托馬斯?愛迪生1879年發(fā)明的白熾燈導(dǎo)致對(duì)便宜、易得、可生產(chǎn)大量電能的燃料的需求。
煤似乎符合這個(gè)要求，并成為第一批電廠的燃料(正是愛迪生本人在19世紀(jì)末建造了第一批電廠)。全國到處興建電廠時(shí)，對(duì)煤的依賴加深了。
自第一次世界大戰(zhàn)以來，美國每年約有一半的電力是以煤為燃料的電廠提供的。1986年這些電廠的總發(fā)電能力達(dá)到28，900
千瓦并且消耗了當(dāng)年全國開采的九億噸煤的83%?？紤]到核能發(fā)展以及石油、天然氣供應(yīng)中的不確定因素，到本世紀(jì)末，火力發(fā)電廠仍可能為美國提供多達(dá)
70%的電力。然而，盡管煤長期以來一直是電力的原料之一并且可能會(huì)繼續(xù)如此(煤占美國化石燃料儲(chǔ)量的80%)，它卻不是電廠的理想燃料。
煤的單位能量含量低于石油和天然氣，而且會(huì)導(dǎo)致包括酸雨在內(nèi)的一系列環(huán)境問題。從1960年以來，排放控制和垃圾處理的問題極大地
削弱了燃煤電廠的魅力。由于減輕這些環(huán)境問題需要大量資金，而且建造龐大復(fù)雜的燃煤電廠的費(fèi)用不斷上漲，也使得這些電廠從經(jīng)濟(jì)角度上不具備吸引力。
改變火力發(fā)電廠的基礎(chǔ)技術(shù)卻可能恢復(fù)它們的吸引力。雖然某些技術(shù)改進(jìn)是漸進(jìn)的，其目的只是提高現(xiàn)有電廠的生產(chǎn)率，但人們正在開發(fā)全新的清潔燃煤的技術(shù)。
點(diǎn)擊收聽單詞發(fā)音收聽單詞發(fā)音
1 incandescent
adj.遇熱發(fā)光的， 白熾的，感情強(qiáng)烈的
參考例句：
The incandescent lamp we use in daily life was invented by Edison.我們?nèi)粘Ｉ钪杏玫陌谉霟?，是愛迪生發(fā)明的。
The incandescent quality of his words illuminated the courage of his countrymen.他熾熱的語言點(diǎn)燃了他本國同胞的勇氣。
2 uncertainty
n.易變，靠不住，不確知，不確定的事物
參考例句：
Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批評(píng)將會(huì)使局勢更加不穩(wěn)定。
After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6個(gè)星期的忐忑不安后，壓力開始產(chǎn)生影響了。
3 emission
n.發(fā)出物，散發(fā)物；發(fā)出，散發(fā)
參考例句：
Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取嚴(yán)格有力措施，降低污染物排放總量。
Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低顆粒排放的方向。
4 purely
adv.純粹地，完全地
參考例句：
I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我?guī)退兇馐浅鲇谟亚椤?BR> This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.這證明認(rèn)為兒童只會(huì)單純地模仿的理論是站不住腳的。
5 technological
adj.技術(shù)的；工藝的
參考例句：
A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必須得跟上技術(shù)變革的步伐。
Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.當(dāng)今， 隨著科技進(jìn)步，生活節(jié)奏不斷增快。