Burning fossil fuels provides energy for most of America's heating, transportion and electrical needs.
All fossil fuels are nonrenewable materials formed over the course of millions of years, but some burn more efficiently, some create more pollution and some are more easily transported.
Coal
Coal storage is simpler than gas or oil storage.
The most stable form of fossil fuel, coal, has been used for thousands of years. It is safely stored and relatively abundant. Coal emissions must be scoured to reduce harmful pollutants. Gypsum is a byproduct of this cleaning process. Coal is still widely available in the U.S. Organizations such as the Appalachian Citizens Law Center consider mountaintop removal coal mining environmentally destructive.
Crude Oil
Jet fuel is another crude oil product.
Petroleum, or crude oil, products include gasoline, diesel fuel and kerosene. Oil is used in the manufacture of plastics. As a fuel, oil is more easily extracted than other fossil fuels and its liquid form makes transport and storage simpler. Oil must be refined and stored, which adds to cost. About half of the U.S.'s petroleum is imported, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Burned fuel can emit carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter.
Propane
Propane is extracted during the drilling of oil or natural gas. It can be pressurized and liquefied for transport and storage in tanks. This makes it advantageous for use in more remote areas without pipeline access.
Natural Gas
Domestic fuel sources help avoid risks of overseas fuel transport.
Natural gas, composed largely of methane, is 90 percent efficient, according to Orange and Rockland Utilities in New York. It is normally made available through a pipeline and pipe storage system. It can be used as raw material for production of fertilizers, medicines and explosives. Natural gas can be a combustion hazard.
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