Archive for February, 2011

The Coal Wire: Governors Know Coal Must Be Part Of Investments In Our Energy Infrastructure

Today, President Obama and Vice President Biden are hosting a bipartisan group of governors at the White House as the National Governors Association ends its winter meeting in Washington, DC.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-Mont.), along with other Democratic governors, met with President Obama on Friday where they discussed ideas to spur job growth. Schweitzer appeared on MSNBC after his meeting, saying investments in energy infrastructure, including clean coal, are critical to our economic prosperity:

Today will also be the chance for newly elected governors to share their ideas as well. As part of his plan during the campaign to grow energy infrastructure in his state, Gov. Tom Corbett (R-Pa.) says that cultivating Pennsylvania’s coal resources is important to creating jobs and lower energy costs:

Pennsylvania’s energy resources are a critical component to revitalizing our economy, growing job opportunities and positioning the commonwealth in the global marketplace … Coal is an abundant resource in Pennsylvania and growing the mining industry is dependent on embracing clean coal technologies.

An ACCCE-commissioned study last year showed that investments in advanced coal technologies would mean over 3,300 jobs in Montana and over 4,100 jobs in Pennsylvania. To learn more about advanced coal technology projects in Montana, Pennsylvania or any other state, check out our clean coal technology research map.

28 February 2011, 9:24 am | Posted in Affordability, Carbon Capture, Clean Coal, Energy Issues, Policy and Legislation, The Coal Wire | No comments »

How Affordable Energy Can Help Small Businesses in Ohio Win the Future

President Obama visited Cleveland State University today, holding a “Winning the Future Forum on Small Business,” where he and members of his administration are hearing directly from small business owners about their ideas to grow the economy and create jobs.

One small business owner the Obama administration should listen to is Olivia Albright of Toledo. Olivia owns AOA Products, LLC, a full service packaging company specializing in poly-bagging, skin packaging and liquid-filled kits. In this video, Olivia says that energy costs are her second highest expense (right after the income she provides for her employees) and explains that affordable energy from coal-based electricity allows her to stay competitive:

Olivia also notes that coal needs to stay in Ohio’s energy mix because the affordable energy it provides allows her to create more jobs and provide more benefits:

The facts back up Olivia. Coal provides 84 percent of Ohio’s power. And as for Ohio’s neighbors, border states that use more coal have cheaper electricity while border states that use less coal have more expensive electricity.

Coal also creates jobs. According to a 2010 ACCCE-commissioned study (.pdf), the construction of advanced coal technology facilities could provide $2.4 billion in labor income to Ohio families while the operation of those facilities could create over 2,200 direct and indirect jobs in the Buckeye State.

There’s also bipartisan agreement that coal needs to be part of a balanced energy portfolio in Ohio. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) says advanced coal technologies can make the state a “Silicon Valley” of energy. And Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) says Ohio’s coal and advanced coal technologies, among other resources, can play a role to improving our “access to reliable, affordable and cleaner domestic energy.”

The message from Olivia to President Obama and all Americans is clear: if we want small businesses to win the future, coal must remain a part of our economy and any policy initiatives should promote a balanced, affordable and reliable energy portfolio that includes the use of coal and advanced coal technologies.

To learn more about Olivia and AOA Products, click here.

22 February 2011, 5:35 pm | Posted in Affordability, Clean Coal, Current Affairs, Energy Issues, Jobs | No comments »

Three Things You Need to Know About Coal and Our Standard of Living

Today, President Obama’s Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, spoke to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, encouraging the continued use of coal as a part of our energy mix and supporting the continued investment into advanced coal technologies.

“We must also invest in the improvement of existing sources of energy that will provide a bridge between current and future technologies. These technologies are already a major segment of the energy mix and will play a critical role in providing a solid foundation that will make possible the creation of a new energy economy … The world will continue to rely on coal-fired electrical generation to meet energy demand. It is imperative that the United States develop the technology to ensure that base-load electricity generation is as clean and reliable as possible … The United States has 25 percent of the world’s coal reserves …”

Coal has had a particular importance to our standard of living. Yet there have been two stories about coal-based electricity and our standard of living: one story is about the environmental challenges associated with the use of coal; the other is about the economic benefits coal provides.

In that light, here are three things you need to know about coal-based electricity and our standard of living:

  • The Coal-Fueled Electricity Industry Continues to Commit Resources to Have a Smaller Environmental Footprint: Since 1970, emissions (per unit of electricity produced) of major air pollutants from coal-fueled power plants have been reduced by over 80 percent. Today, clean coal technologies are being installed on coal-fueled power plants, removing 90 to 99 percent of the major air pollutants. The fact is that coal-fueled power plants are subject to dozens of federal and state clean air regulations that are designed to reduce air emissions and protect public health. That’s why coal-fueled power plants will spend an estimated $115-125 billion by 2015 on emission technologies to comply with clean air requirements.
  • The Coal-Fueled Electricity Industry Provides Well-Paying Jobs: Many well-paying jobs are directly and indirectly related to the use of coal in our nation. According to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers based on U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data, U.S. coal mining was responsible for 154,000 direct jobs and over 400,000 indirect jobs in 2008.

When Americans evaluate their standard of living, they take a look at multiple items: the environment they live in, the economy they participate in, and where they spend their money. And when evaluating how a particular item impacts our standard of living, it’s important to look at all factors and not single out one issue.

When you look at all of these factors, it’s no wonder why the Obama administration, as well as Congressional Republicans and Democrats, are committed to using coal and investing in technologies to generate electricity from coal as cleanly as possible so that our standard of living can be maintained.

16 February 2011, 2:13 pm | Posted in Affordability, Carbon Capture, Clean Coal, Current Affairs, Jobs | 1 comment »

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