Ashes to Asphalt

Electricity – it’s something we use everyday, for almost everything we do.  But where does that power come from?  The electricity we use is generated using an energy source, which is converted into energy at a power plant.  Most of the electricity that’s used in the United States – about 50% – is made by burning coal.  But burning coal releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide into our air.

That’s why Pleasant Prairie Power Plant in Kenosha is participating in a new “Carbon Capture” project.  It’s a new technology that reduces emissions by separating and capturing carbon dioxide emissions from a coal-fueled power plant.

This plant is one of many across the country that also has the technology to remove a coal combustion by-product called fly ash.  Instead of sending this fly ash to a landfill, it’s being put to a good use – construction.  Fly ash is commonly used as a substitute for cement, and has been used in the construction of venues like the Milwaukee Art Museum, Miller Park, and Lambeau Field!

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