Clean coal — it's more than just CO2

An environmental special interest group has said that it will invest millions in ads to (in their words) debunk the myth of clean coal. Their claim is that since we're still working on the technology to capture and store CO₂, there is no such thing as clean coal. 

First of all, we share the goal of reducing CO2 emissions, but clean coal technology includes any advanced technology that reduces the environmental footprint of electricity generation.

Also, why aren't these groups spending millions to ensure that buses don't have signs plastered on them that say "powered by clean natural gas?"  I'm not knocking natural gas... but the fact is, natural gas also emits CO₂.  Don't they want to have any consistency to their argument?

We need all of our available energy resources, but I guess their strict constructionist argument would also not allow them to describe wind and solar (intermittent power sources) as reliable.

The fact is, as I've said many times, all energy resources have their pluses and their minuses — coal included.  But the fact remains, the use of technology has led to significant progress in reducing criteria pollutants and other regulated emissions in the coal-based electricity sector (an achievement these groups are all too fast to dismiss).

Going forward, the industry (through a working partnership with the government and academia) has laid a strong foundation for bringing new even more advanced technologies to the marketplace to capture and safely store CO₂. 

Being a Monday morning quarterback may be the safest position to play, but it doesn't win any ballgames. 

When it comes to promoting energy independence, providing affordable, reliable power and investing in the technologies for a cleaner energy future, we're in the game.  We'll take our hits when they are deserved, and I suspect most people know a foul when they see one.

Comments

[Val]

Hello: de-sulphured coal is one thing--airborne particulates are quite another. As an asthma sufferer I do hope the truth about "clean coal" comes out. What good is anything that "improves" the look of "the environment" by dumping coal particulate matter into vulnerable lungs???

[Andon]

I think the title to this post sums up the main problem with "Clean Coal." The fact is, CO2 and other greenhouse gases are the main environmental problem of our time. Without addressing CO2, you don't get special points for simply complying to relatively weak environmental standards. Those standards address the problems of the past without addressing the problem of the present. Coal is the biggest point source emitter of greenhouse gases, so its up to you to step up to the plate.

Until you (the coal industry) have demonstrated that you can actually build a plant that will reliably sequester CO2, we can't afford to build a single conventional coal plant. Any coal plant that is built should have something to prove, a solid commercial demonstration of a carbon sequestration technology. We had a plant out here in Virginia that tried to claim it was "clean coal compatible" by setting aside a piece of land where they would place a sequestration plant when it became available. The claim was shot down because it was patently ridiculous.

Until you can demonstrate sequestration technology works, you cant build any new plants and truthfully claim that they are "Clean." Building plants now on the hope that this unproven technology works is a risk we simply can't afford to take.

[Megan from ACCCE]

Val: While I certainly sympathize with your asthma, I must point out that as a result of clean coal technologies, today’s coal-based generating fleet is 77 percent cleaner in terms of emissions currently regulated under existing Clean Air Act programs per unit of energy produced. The calculations are based on five pollutants which includes particulate matter. Some say this is quite an accomplishment—we say we’re just getting started.

Andon: I’m happy to say that there are more than 80 CCS projects going on around the world, with the majority of them happening here in the U.S. These projects represent all facets of carbon capture and storage. They are intended to pave the way for coal-based electricity generation technologies be used in ways that not only control pollutants regulated by federal clean-air statutes, but break new ground in achieving significant reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide.