Originally posted on National Journal’s Energy Expert Blog :

When it comes to coal, technology is a game-changer. Over the past several decades, emissions from American coal plants are down 90 percent thanks to the more than $100 billion dollars invested in new technologies by America’s coal industry. Unfortunately, the policies coming out of the federal and many state governments do not reflect the transformation occurring in our industry.

The EPA and some state agencies frequently take the bait laid by special interest groups promoting a political agenda that ignores the role that technology has played in making sources such as coal cleaner than ever. They overlook the fact that affordable and reliable electricity impacts not only our nation’s economy, but also the family budget.

So instead of pursuing balanced policies that protect the environment and strengthen the economy, we end up with excessive policies that seek to limit America’s energy options. This is evident with the Nucla Power Plant in Colorado. Thanks to new technologies, this is one of the lowest mercury-emitting coal plants in the country. Yet the EPA’s new rules on mercury could shut it down. This is not an isolated problem. A recent published report found that more than 280 coal-fueled generation units are scheduled to be shutdown due at least in part to EPA regulations.

This is happening at the state level too. In Colorado, some state legislators are seeking to more than double the renewable energy standards for the state’s utilities, which would increase costs for consumers. The city of Los Angeles is proposing to move the city away from coal-based electricity two years before a state-imposed deadline. Last month, the city’s ratepayer advocate reported that such a move could cost more than $600 million dollars.

Responsible policymakers recognize the promise of clean coal technology, and pursue policies that allow American to take advantage of our massive volumes of coal. Much progress has been made in clean coal technology, but the future is even more promising. Last month, GE Power and Water unveiled a new filtration technology for coal plants that is both stronger and more efficient. Earlier this year, researchers at Ohio State University were able to run a scaled-down coal plant while capturing 99 percent of carbon dioxide.

Twenty-first century technologies demand 21^st century policies. Instead, we’re getting a stream of policies based on 20^th century policies. Coal and clean coal technology must play an important role in meeting our future energy demands. The question is our government pursuing the balanced approach necessary to ensuring that it can?

In this tough economy, Colorado’s electricity must be produced at a price that families and small businesses can afford. Which is why SB 13-252, being considered by the Colorado State Legislature, is a step in the wrong direction. The bill would require some utilities to increase energy from renewable sources by 150%, which would result in higher electricity costs.

Interestingly, SB 13-252 was introduced without consulting the consumers that will pay for this mandate, and the cost of compliance would be hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars—having a potentially devastating effect on many Colorado communities.

According to the Pueblo Chieftain: “Colorado’s rural electric cooperatives are currently required, by the year 2020, to provide 10% of their power using select renewable resources – a reasonable standard these not-for-profit, consumer-owned utilities agreed to in 2007. With co-ops aggressively adding new renewable resources in an effort to meet and even exceed this standard, new mandates are neither fair nor necessary.

And yet Senate Bill 13-252, sponsored by Colorado Springs Senator John Morse – along with Senator Gail Schwartz from Pitkin County – would increase the standard to 25% – more than doubling the current requirement while keeping the 2020 deadline for compliance in place.”

As we learned last year during a visit to western Colorado, in two small towns, cutting even 150 jobs would be devastating. Just ask the residents of Nucla and Naturita, Colorado. These towns rely heavily on the jobs from a nearby coal mine and coal-fueled power plant for their livelihood.

If you live in Colorado, click here to ask your legislator to support affordable and reliable electricity and tell them that government should not mandate higher electricity costs without considering economic impacts this bill would have on Colorado families and small businesses.

Dry scrubbers are a post-combustion technology that utilize a chemical reaction to trap emissions.  Currently, utilities are increasingly turning to dry scrubbers as a way to meet emissions standards.

Unlike wet scrubbers, which use a lot of water, dry scrubbers use limestone which is blown into the stack dry or with a bit of moisture. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) reacts with the particles of limestone, which trap the sulfur dioxide. The hot gas then flows through a filter. The limestone particles with their trapped sulfur are too big to get through the filter, as are the particles of dust.

Power Engineering magazine says that modern dry scrubbers  are a third generation of flue gas desulfurization processes. According to the Department of Energy and the EPA, between 1987 and 2000 electrical utility SO2 emissions dropped, despite a increase in net generation and continue to fall.

Learn more about how dry scrubbers offer a solution to cleaner power by reading this article.