Today almost all coal plants are using “pulverized coal” (PC) technology, this technology involves grinding the coal, burning it to make steam, and running the steam through a turbine to generate electricity. There is a latest technology known as Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC). It converts coal into gas and that gas runs through a combustion turbine to generate electricity. This process uses the excess heat.

Pulverized coal burning emits enormous quantities of carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, mercury  and microscopic particulate matter. Some existing plants and all new plants are having pollution control technology for reducing emissions of some of these pollutants, specifically sulfur dioxide and particulates. Most common methods to control the pollution is using of scrubbers and filters. Scrubbers are having wet limestone slurry for absorbing sulfur when it pass through while filters are collections of large cloth bags that catch particulates as they pass through the cloth. But even then some smaller  particulates can pass out the smoke stack into the air.