Chu: “The U.S. is not going to turn its back on coal”

On Friday, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Energy Secretary Steven Chu spoke to a national group of CEOs in Cary, N.C., about accelerating progress on alternative energy production and finding cleaner ways to generate electricity.

Chu specifically cited coal’s significant role in our energy portfolio and the government’s commitment in partnering with the energy industry to develop clean coal technologies.

"The United States is not going to turn its back on coal," Chu said. "Fifty percent of our electricity is generated by coal. The industry will not develop that technology, but we have to partner with the industry to develop it."

The energy secretary’s statement comes on the heels of his “urgent letter last week,” according to The New York Times, “calling for a major effort to develop and implement carbon capture technology” within the next 10 years.

Government involvement is an integral part of deploying CCS on a commercial scale. In the past, U.S. Department of Energy grants have helped lower the initial cost of clean coal technologies – which helped protect consumers from higher energy costs and created incentives for businesses.

According to the Associated Press, Salazar promised the CEOs that the Obama administration is “clearing away red tape” to help mitigate any “confusion holding up potential offshore renewable energy projects.”

Hopefully, these measures will aid industry leaders in investing and developing in clean energy programs, including coal.