Approximately 16% of the national grid is powered by coal, making it a cleaner source of energy than burning dino juice. If electric boats were 100% coal-powered, they would still be a better option in terms of national security since we rely heavily on imported oil to produce gasoline. In the Mid-Atlantic, most electric boats charge overnight and are therefore powered mostly by nuclear energy. Even when entirely powered by coal, an electric boat would be much cleaner than a gas-powered one. It takes around 5 kWh of energy just to refine a gallon of gasoline from crude oil. As the grid continues to become cleaner each year, gas engines will remain inherently inefficient.
