Abstract

More than half of the United States’ energy comes from coal: its production reduces our reliance on foreign fuel and provides jobs to thousands of Americans; however it is no longer economically efficient and poses a great threat to human and environmental health. The objective of this study was to find a strategy for decommissioning Illinois coal power plants in the least harmful way possible. Ideally, locations will be shut down based on a system that allows for minimal impact on the environment, sustains social equality, and is feasible in terms of energy output and alternative sources. Ten potential sites were evaluated based on air pollution emissions, percent minority population and median household income of the surrounding area, size/energy output, and the cost-benefit of an alternative energy source. ArcGIS was used for mapping and spatial analysis of data acquired from the American Community Survey 2006-2010, 2010 Census, Environmental Protection Agency and SourceWatch coal plant information. Results depict which coal power plants would be the best to shut down first based on environmental justice, pollution emissions, and capacity, while indicating a five year time frame to make up costs of conversion for ideal candidates.