ScienceDaily: Is wood the new coal? Researchers at North Carolina State University think so, and they are part of a team working to turn woodchips into a substitute for coal by using a process called torrefaction that is greener, cleaner and more efficient than traditional coal burning. Environmental organizations have raised concerns for decades about the environmental impact of the burning of fossil fuels — particularly coal — for energy. The combustion of coal contributes to acid rain and air …