Finding room for agreement Posted by Joe Lucas on 08/12/2008 02:19:03 PM

Cathy Zoi, the CEO of the Alliance for Climate Protection who occasionally blogs at the Huffington Post, wrote yesterday that coal “can also play a significant role by capturing and storing their carbon emissions safely. Our hope is that this CCS emissions technology can be developed and commercialized quickly.”

Now… I don’t agree with Zoi on a lot of issues. (Click here for a broader look at our reaction to her group’s energy plan, put forward by Al Gore last month.) But I do agree with this particular point.

Coal provides half of America’s electricity generation, so of course it has an important role to play. I tend to repeat myself, but… as a result of our commitment to clean, today’s coal-based generating fleet is 70 percent cleaner on the basis of regulated emissions per unit of energy produced. And we’re not done yet!

If you remember one thing... Posted by Joe Lucas on 10/22/2007 03:59:00 PM

                                    

True story… a few years ago, I was attending a focus group in Michigan and a participant was asked her impressions on the use of coal in modern society. As the story goes, without blinking, she said “We don’t use coal in this country any more, we have electricity.”

Yikes!

Enter today’s launch of the America’s Power campaign!

If you remember one thing today, here it is; 50% of our electricity comes from COAL. (Insert dramatic pause here)

It’s easy to not put a lot of thought into what’s at the other end of your light switch, but one out of every two people reading this has good ol’ American coal to thank for the electricity to do so. And that very singular idea is the reason for the launch of today’s campaign.

Oh sure, at this point I can regurgitate all the facts from the campaign and the new website, but since you’re here already, why not take a look around for yourself and when you’re done come back here and respond to today’s discussion topic

… Do you buy the fact that coal currently is America’s power or are you selling that idea?

                               

Behind the Plug- Day 1 Posted by Joe Lucas on 10/19/2007 03:57:00 PM

                                    

“Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; argument is an exchange of ignorance” Robert Quillen 1887-1948

And so it begins. Day one on “Behind the Plug” and we’re already digging deep into the quote book to set the tone of the Blog.

Why are we here? Glad you thought to ask…we’re here to discuss (see Quillen quote above) one of the key elements of our society. Electricity. To be more specific, we’re here to discuss the role that coal-based electricity plays in our society. How big of a role? Try this on for size: more than 50% of our electricity currently is generated from coal (raise your hand if you got that one right.)

When Robert Quillen made his comment many generations ago, there was no way he could have envisioned the venue that today’s discussions have migrated towards, namely the Internet. However, his thought is sill something we aspire this space to become, which is “an exchange of knowledge.”

"A man doesn't know what he knows until he knows what he doesn't know.” Laurence J. Peter, 1919-1990

Our discussion needs to be equal parts knowledge of what we bring to the table mixed in with a discussion of things that maybe we haven’t thought of up until now. As you read and participate in this blog, let’s all assume everyone has something to add but let’s be sure to do so in a way would make
Robert Quillen proud even today.

“…and if you're not careful, you might learn something before it's done. So let's get ready, eh? Hey, Hey, Hey” Bill Cosby circa 1972.