Clean Coal Technologies help US lead clean energy race
With the use of coal projected to rise by 60% worldwide over the next 20 years, the need to develop better clean coal technologies is increasingly stronger. Since the late 1980s, the United States has invested substantially in the development of clean coal technology intended to mitigate coal’s impact on the environment. These clean coal technologies, or CCTs, comprise a new generation of energy processes that both clean the coal and contain its emissions.
Because coal is likely to remain one of America’s lowest cost power sources, we must maintain our serious commitment to developing still better clean coal technologies. In a February 2010 memorandum, President Barack Obama underscored the important role that clean coal technologies will play in our nation’s energy strategy, saying:
"Rapid commercial development and deployment of clean
coal technologies, particularly carbon capture and storage,
will help position the United States as a leader in
the global clean energy race."
As we develop and utilize better clean coal technologies, our coal will become an economical, effective, environmentally-friendly fuel that could reduce our oil dependency. Not only will this benefit our country, but we will be able to share our knowledge and clean coal technology with other coal-using countries in order to set the global emission standard for future power plants worldwide.
The Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) is a partnership between the United States government and the coal industry to demonstrate, fund and promote the sort of advanced clean coal technologies that will ensure clean and economical electricity for our country. It is just one example of the kind of public and private investment necessary if we are to realize the economical and environmental benefits of proliferating clean coal technologies.
Coal is not going away anytime soon. It is and will remain essential to our country’s energy production for generations to come. The question is, how can we maximize its potential while minimizing its effect on the environment? Continued development of clean coal technologies is the answer.