Coal power generation was first started in 1882 in New York by Thomas Edison. Coal is the largest source of energy generation worldwide, accounting for 37% of global energy. Coal forms from decaying plants over millions of years under certain conditions and the energy extracted from coal today comes from the energy plants absorbed from the sun. In 2015, coal accounted for 29.2% of global electricity generation while in Sri Lanka in 2016, coal made up 35% of electricity generation. The impacts of coal power plants include air pollution from GHG emissions, water pollution from cooling water and waste water, solid waste generation from ash and industrial/municipal waste, and noise and vibration from machine operation and maintenance.