Nt quotes, facts, statistics, and examples. Read this excerpt from a scientific essay on climate change and fossil fuels. Which sentence provides supporting evidence for the main idea? Coal-fired electricity plants significantly contribute to climate change. Coal plants are one of the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These plants burn coal to heat water and turn it to steam. The steam turns turbines connected to generators that produce electricity. In 2011, US coal plants emitted up to 1.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The burning of coal and other fossil fuels has resulted in acid rain and air pollution.