Last week, American Electric Power and energy research center Battelle announced a project to capture as much as 110,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually at the Mountaineer plant near New Haven, W.Va., The Columbus Dispatch reported.
In August, The Dispatch editorialized that the initial $120 million investment would not only help advance carbon capture and sequestration technology in the realm of scientific research; it would also boost the economy of the Midwest by creating jobs in the region.
If successful, the plant would be expanded to capture up to 1.65 million tons a year. American Electric Power is seeking $334 million in federal stimulus funding to cover about half the cost of the larger plant, The Dispatch reported.
The editorial went on to say that AEP’s request is “appropriate” – especially because coal is likely to play a part in the foreseeable future.
This just goes to show that in order to push clean coal technologies forward, we need to continue building coal plants with the capacity to test and develop methods to cut carbon dioxide emissions on the commercial scale.
It’s great to hear such strong local support for new coal plants. We wish Mountaineer the best of luck in securing federal funding and moving ahead with the project.
The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) is committed to the idea that America can have the affordable, reliable electricity we need, with the clean environment we want. ACCCE’s Behind the Plug blog is the place for up-to-date news and analysis on clean coal technology developments and energy policy progress.