CLEAN COAL DOUBT

Debates Over Clean Coal Continue
Kristyn Ecochard, April 26, 2007 (UPI)

WHO
U.S. legislators, especially Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.
Clean Coal schematic. Click to enlarge.
WHAT
Kerry and Boxer lead proponents of clean coal technology (The Clean Coal Act of 2007) and stress the urgency of halting construction of coal-fired power plants without the capacity to capture and sequester carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.

WHEN
- Kerry’s bill was introduced April 26.
- Energy demand is expected to increase by 1/3 by 2027.
- Expert estimates have clean coal technology available on a commercial scale as soon as 2020.

WHERE

WHY
- Energy demand will inevitably rise and coal is an abundant domestic resource. But using it is profoundly harmful to the environment and to human health. 20% of CO2 comes from coal plants. Even if the US finds a way around burning coal, India, China and other emerging economies are likely to turn to it in big ways.
- Clean coal technology has not been demonstrated practical on a commercial scale though government and private projects are under way. Tax credit incentives and carbon cost standards are necessary to motivate development of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology. A carbon price of no less than $40/ton is said to be necessary.
- Incentives to consumers: weatherization, upgrading appliances and home-based renewable energy.

QUOTES
- Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.: "This bill is the No. 1 solution to global warming…Unless we can build clean power plants, we should not be building them."

- Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.: "Advanced cleaner coal can help us solve this great threat that is facing us…The most disturbing thing is what could happen if we don't respond to this. We are the Saudi Arabia of coal and if we could figure this out, we'll be well on our way to energy independence in a responsible way."
- Christine Todd Whitman, former EPA head and co-chair, Clean and Safe Energy Coalition: "The chances of renewable becoming base load power are very slim and it's a long way out; coal will always be an important part of our power mix, but we can do better, whether it's coal bed methane or underground injection of carbon…We need to put some money into that kind of research so we can have the cleanest coal possible…"
- Tyson Slocum, Public Citizen: "A couple things are going to need to happen to put a moratorium on new coal fired power plants…It has to be complemented with some big financial incentives to households for energy efficiency…Especially wind power over the last 10 years or so, if you couple that with, for example, ending subsidies to big oil companies and shifting to efficiency incentives for small business and households, that would probably help offset any short term or immediate costs that come with shifting from traditional coal to slightly more expensive, cleaner energy…"