目前,在美国南部,较少的能量由煤产生

AS IT IS 2016-11-28 Less Energy Now Produced by Coal in US South 目前,在美国南部,较少的能量由煤产生

Three large machines called turbines produce electricity at the Buck¹ Combined Cycle Station in central North Carolina, near the town of Salisbury.

Tall chimneys that once released smoke into the air all day and night are now unused. The last coal-fueled generators² that operated at the energy center were closed a few years ago. Trains full of coal no longer arrive at the center, and large piles of coal no longer cover the ground.

The center is owned by Duke Energy.

Energy companies have had to sharply reduce the amount of coal they use for several reasons: Stronger government rules have reduced the level of carbon permitted to be sent into the air. And there is a growing demand for clean energy.

The new energy center is fueled by natural gas. It is a much cleaner source of electricity than coal.

Bill Wilson is the senior engineer of the Buck Combined Cycle Station. He says Duke Energy has closed about half of its coal-fueled energy centers in recent years and has replaced them with ones fueled by natural gas.

He told VOA it is less costly³ to fuel the plant with natural gas than with coal.

Switching over

Coal was the main fuel used to generate electricity in the United States for many years. But the U.S. Energy Information Administration says in 2015 coal and natural gas were used equally to create electricity -- about 33 percent each.

The shift from coal to natural gas is happening at energy centers throughout the country.

In July, coal was removed from the Clinch⁴ River Coal Plant in Russell County, Virginia. The plant is owned by American Electric Power. Last year, parts of the center were converted from coal to natural gas use.

Ricky Chaffin is the manager of the plant. He says it is now not only cleaner but produces more electricity.

“You don’t have to handle the coal,” he says. “You don’t have to move the coal from the pile to the plant. We’ve got a lot less equipment. So (there is) a whole lot less manpower required to (operate) a (natural) gas plant,” he said.

When the plant was fueled by coal, 182 people were needed to operate it. Now, 46 people work there.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration has predicted that natural gas will become the country’s largest source of electricity this year.

In North Carolina, Duke Energy plans to close most of its coal-fueled power plants in the next few decades. But as it does, it faces environmental problems.

Last month, the company reached an agreement to remove the coal ash from its Buck Steam Station that has been polluting groundwater and the nearby Yadkin River for many years.

Words in This Story

turbine – n. an engine that spins and can be used to produce electricity

chimney – n. a tall structure on a building that allows smoke to rise and escape outside

plant – n. a building or factory where something is made

convert – v. to change from one thing to another

pile – n. a group of things that are put one on top of another

manpower – n. the number of people who are available to work

decade – n. a 10-year period

coal ash – n. waste that remains⁵ after coal is burned

groundwater – n. water that is underground

1 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

2 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

4 clinch   

v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench

参考例句：

• Clinch the boards together.用钉子把木板钉牢在一起。
• We don't accept us dollars,please Swiss francs to clinch a deal business.我方不收美元，请最好用瑞士法郎来成交生意。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。