Governors Realize Benefits Of Clean Coal

                                    

The National Governors Association held its winter meeting in Washington, D.C., and given everything that is going on with concerns about rising energy costs and the economy, it stands to reason that the topic of coal came up. Several key governors were talking about the key role coal will play in America’s energy future.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) told the nation’s governors: "Next-generation coal is going to need to continue to be part of our energy future for this country. It is abundant, it is available, it is Americanized in the sense that we control the supply. We would be incomplete and doing a disservice to the debate and the ultimate policy direction that we're going to take if we don't envision coal being part of that."

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (D), D-Pa., envisions an economic turnaround if clean-coal technology takes off. "Coal states would be back in business big time and the economies would flourish," said Rendell, the association's vice chairman.

And, if any of you doubt me when I say that all energy resources (including coal) have both their pluses and minuses, it helps that Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana (D) said essentially the same thing. Coal "has a CO2 problem, wind has a reliability problem, solar has a price problem, nukes have a price and radiation problem," Schweitzer said. "So all of those technologies have opportunities. but they all have problems — coal's no different."

The one thing we know for sure, is that we’re working on the technologies to reduce CO2 emissions, just like we have with other emissions that are currently regulated under federal and state clean air laws. You’ve heard me say it before, and I’ll say it again: there has never been an environmental challenge facing the coal-based electricity sector for which technology didn’t provide the ultimate solution. Meeting the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the utility sector is not going to be the exception to that rule.

Bottom line, it’s good to see folks recognize that coal HAS to be a part of meeting America’s future energy needs.