Excerpt
JEFFREY BROWN (Newshour): And next, Ray Suarez continues his series about the changing energy picture in this country.
Tonight, he visits Colorado, where natural gas is taking center stage, prompting questions about the future of both coal and alternative energy resources.
RAY SUAREZ (Newshour): For a long time, it was simple and straightforward here in Colorado. The coal sits in big fat seams close to the surface. Strip off a layer of soil, pull out the coal, burn it right next door to make electricity, and sell what you don't burn right here. It's not so simple anymore.
Increased federal regulations of electric power plants have made it tougher to meet EPA guidelines burning only coal. At the same time, the price of natural gas has been dropping, and we have been finding it in more and more places.
And that has set up a tough battle between the coal companies and the natural gas industry.
When the new regulations are fully phased in, Colorado utilities are going to burn a lot less coal, converting some plants to burning natural gas, shutting others down altogether.
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