An interesting look at the space taken up by coal fired electricity:
http://www.masterresource.org/2010/05/smil-density-coal-wood-ii/
Coal, gas and even uranium fission take up more space than we realize
because you have to account for the area of the coal mine and the
railroad track dedicated mainly to hauling coal to the power station. By
the time you finish, coal-fired electricity takes up more land area than
wind turbines and roughly as much as solar electricity in Nevada.
People think that coal is a highly concentrated source of energy but
that is only true at the point of generation.
Here is some info on this subject from various other sources:
Wind turbines occupy only 2% of the land in a wind farm. The rest of the
land can be used for a conventional farm or something else.
Solar installations on rooftops take up essentially no space since roofs
are not good for any practical purpose.
Uranium takes up the space required for the uranium mine and processing
plants. I do not know how much space that would be.
Natural gas appears to take up little space but it takes quite a lot
when you account for the land and water tables destroyed by fracturing.
- Jed
