Blowing Smoke

Somebody pointed out that the EPA will not allow the plant in Florida to sequester the CO2. Do you remember when all the people in Africa died when the volcano near them belched a bunch of CO2 and it flowed (since it is heavier than air) down the mountain and suffocated everybody? That is why the EPA won't clear it, as I understand. Can this risk be eliminated? Permanently? Guaranteed? In reasonable time to have clean coal part of our energy solutions? You have to put the CO2 somewhere if you capture it. Or it isn't going to be "clean" by global warming standards. Seems to me that is a tall order.

I am all for trying, but I don't want to live where they are going to store the stuff

Gee the crowd that buys in to Global Warming err Climate Change without proof now demands 100% proof that clean cold can be done. Like it or not we need coal. And Oil and Nuclear and Solar and Wind and Natural Gas

Coal is dead, bury it. It's an old archaic form of energy from a reckless era. We're over it. 10-15 years to develop clean coal technology is way, way too late. We have moved on already.

The coal industry is spending hundreds of millions on an offensive and misleading campaign solely to protect their interests. We have seen similar scams before, from enron to mortgage-backed securities, and we deserve better from our business and government leaders.

Here is something you can do today. Installing a solar power system at your residence or small business is a great investment that will save money for years to come. You can reduce or eliminate your monthly utility bill to near $0. With today's federal tax credits for solar and many state and local cash rebate programs, you can reduce the installation cost by up 50% to 70%. This means you can install solar for as little as a few thousand dollars. Then compare this cost to paying a utility over a 20 or 25 year timeframe. The savings from solar can be tremendous and produce a very healthy ROI. Web sites like freecleansolar.com have a directory of local installers, and rebate and incentive information for states including california, arizona, colorado, new jersey and many more.

In addition to saving money, the best part is that you'll be doing something good for the Earth at the same time.

The coal industry is spending hundreds of millions on an offensive and misleading campaign solely to protect their interest. We have seen similar scams, from enron to mortgage-backed securities, before and we deserve better.

Installing a solar power system at your residence or small business is a great investment that will save money for years to come. You can reduce or eliminate your monthly utility bill to near $0. With today's federal tax credits for solar and many state and local cash rebate programs, you can reduce the installation cost by up 50% to 70%. This means you can install solar for as little as a few thousand dollars. Then compare this cost to paying a utility over a 20 or 25 year timeframe. The savings from solar can be tremendous and produce a very healthy ROI. Web sites like freecleansolar.com have a directory of local installers, and rebate and incentive information for states including california, arizona, colorado, new jersey and many more.

In addition to saving money, the best part is that you'll be doing something good for the Earth at the same time.

There is no such thing as clean coal, plus the destruction left in the wake of Mountaintop Removal has turned Appalachia into a Third World America. www.wisecountyissues.com

Yes power plants put out their fair share of emissions. Yes the technology of clean burnig coal isnt really out there, YET. But for now power plant across the U.S. are investing millions of dollars to meet the EPA regulations for emissions. Bag House systems, SCR's, Scrubber Towers, and lime injection. There many ways to help with the lowering of emissions. A Japanese company has built a 900megawatt prototype unit here in the u.s. that puts out the lowest emissins of its size. the steps are being taken to burn cleaner are already in motion. they have been for the last decade. Ofcourse people with a one sided opinions wouldn't see that. Until something completely safe and garaunteed coal fire plants or some type of gas burning unit is what we got. If that doesn't satisfy you than i suggest turning of your computer and shut down the power to your house because you just burned 1ton of coal.

there is a plant in florida that is set-up for carbon capture but can not fire up due to the EPA not giving them the go ahead. there is also a plant in Pn set-up for carbon capture. setting up a new grid is a good idea. wind power and solar power are not enough to make up for the loss of coal fire plants. wind power can only put out so much since there only so many of them built and in use today. many environmental activists are trying to put a stop to windmills due the fact that bats or birds might fly into them. solar power cant just be thrown onto a grid. it has to be used right away and only a partial cant be stored. the only solar power that works worth a damn is the solar panels on your roof, but if its cloudy its back to the old generator. some people same nuclear is the way to go. it would be if there wasnt so much toxic waste that can not be disposed or reused. atleast at this time. there are millions of gallons of toxic waste sitting around in the u.s. right now. im all for carbon capture, usung the steam for the stack to be injuected a ethanol plant or some other type of plant that use it for prodution. one can onl wait and hope. not slam the idea or the use of clean coal on t.v. . there are plenty of other things to worry about.

What incredible sophistry. First, there are a number of scaled down pilot projects testing a variety of possible processes for removing carbon emissions from coal fired power plants. Our local utility is funding tests on a process, which if proven feasible in pilot testing, will be applied to an existing 1000MW coal fired power plant. If it proves feasible, the particular technology that is being tested can be retrofitted to existing coal fired power plants. Even if the carbon zealots in our country are successful in arguing that we simply shut down our existing coal fired capacity during the next ten years, they offer no solution for the emissions that will come from the hundreds of coal fired plants in operation and being constructed in China and India. And as ridiculous as the notion of abandoning usable generating capacity in this country rather that abating the offending emissions is, no such outcome is even remotely feasible for developing economies which are not going to unnecessarily cripple themselves relative to us. Even if clean coal is not in our future, it must be in the future for China and India or our alternative efforts will be for naught.

As for the notion that we should simply abandon existing generating capacity which has many years of useful life, this will simply reduce the total resources available for us to ultimately reduce our carbon emissions. Yes the new so-called green alternatives will create jobs. To the extent that they eliminate existing generation options which have significant useful lives (if those sources can be converted to clean technologies) existing jobs and existing capital will be destroyed. More solutions to environmental and other problems will arise from prosperity than from scarcity. Wasting otherwise useful resources, human and capital, simply reduces the extent to which we can move forward.

Finally, there is little doubt that the strongest advocates of clean coal or any other particular technology which does not fit the sensibilities of these zealots are using their funds to advance clean coal of whatever. Anyone who does not believe that parties with financial interests aligned with wind, solar or whatever are sponsoring this ridiculous ten year campaign needs to change his/her meds.

What incredible sophistry. First, there are a number of scaled down pilot projects testing a variety of possible processes for removing carbon emissions from coal fired power plants. Our local utility is funding tests on a process, which if proven feasible in pilot testing, will be applied to an existing 1000MW coal fired power plant. If it proves feasible, the particular technology that is being tested can be retrofitted to existing coal fired power plants. Even if the carbon zealots in our country are successful in arguing that we simply shut down our existing coal fired capacity during the next ten years, they offer no solution for the emissions that will come from the hundreds of coal fired plants in operation and being constructed in China and India. And as ridiculous as the notion of abandoning usable generating capacity in this country rather that abating the offending emissions is, no such outcome is even remotely feasible for developing economies which are not going to unnecessarily cripple themselves relative to us. Even if clean coal is not in our future, it must be in the future for China and India or our alternative efforts will be for naught.

As for the notion that we should simply abandon existing generating capacity which has many years of useful life, this will simply reduce the total resources available for us to ultimately reduce our carbon emissions. Yes the new so-called green alternatives will create jobs. To the extent that they eliminate existing generation options which have significant useful lives (if those sources can be converted to clean technologies) existing jobs and existing capital will be destroyed. More solutions to environmental and other problems will arise from prosperity than from scarcity. Wasting otherwise useful resources, human and capital, simply reduces the extent to which we can move forward.

Finally, there is little doubt that the strongest advocates of clean coal or any other particular technology which does not fit the sensibilities of these zealots are using their funds to advance clean coal of whatever. Anyone who does not believe that parties with financial interests aligned with wind, solar or whatever are sponsoring this ridiculous ten year campaign needs to change his/her meds.

The comments here are just "Coal is dirty and there's no need for further discussion." A huge percentage of our current electricity production is created with coal and at this time the total lack of conversation will not replace the wattage we need in the near future. We need to get together and get some constructive conversation going without all of the negative comments. The only way to make this work is to use ALL the options in use now and the best of any future developments.

GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO STAY OUT OF INDUSTRY PERIOD! THE EPA SHOULD BE ABOLISHED AND THE AUTO INDUSTRY SHOULD SHUT DOWN, GET RID OF THE UNIONS AND START OVER IN RIGHT TO WORK STATES.

REMEMBER WHAT OBAMA PROMISED ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL? THEY CAN BUILD A COAL PLANT IF THEY WANT, BUT THEY WILL GO BANKRUPT BECAUSE OF THE RESTRICTIONS AND PENALTIES MY ADMINISTRATION WILL PUT ON THEM.

They have been putting in "clean" wind generators in eastern Wyoming for quite some time now. It was no coincidence that when it came time to reintroduce black-footed ferrets (one of the world's most endangered species) back into the wild, they chose the area with hundreds of wind generators. The major predators of black-footed ferrets are the raptors, and there are no raptors anywhere near the wind farms because they (and pretty much every other bird) have all been killed by the huge swinging blades. Of course, that was a totally unexpected result???good for the ferrets, but bad for the birds.

There is no free ride when it comes to energy. There will always be trade-offs. Every form of electrical generation has a down side. Dam a river...and lose a canyon. Harness the wind...and kill all the birds in the area. Harness the sun...and heat the air around the solar panels. Burn coal, oil or gas...and put carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Harness the Earth's geothermal heat...and destabilize the surrounding faults. Harness the atom...and risk a nuclear accident. There is no free ride.

Unless we are willing to go back to living in caves with an average lifespan of 30 years, we will continue to tap the Earth's resources for our own good. Maybe you know somebody who is willing to do that, but I don't. Ask Al Gore if he is willing to give up his huge house, SUV's and private jet in order to achieve zero impact on the Earth due to energy use. I doubt it. He would just try to buy more fraudulent "energy credits" as if they actually do anything to help the environment.

@kamakiriad Geothermal and Hydroelectric are EXPENSIVE and inefficient. The costs outweigh the benefit. I know the fantasy land that environmentalists live in wish the bottom line didn't matter, but it does.

This article topic was poorly researched and presented. My home town, Mattoon, IL, was recently selected as the first site to begin construction of a "clean coal" power plant. The project is called Future Gen. The coal burning plant is designed to pump the CO2 emissions deep underground. The government has already selected to exact site and purchased the land. Construction is expected to begin shortly as long as there aren't any holdups due to politics.

Also, I would like to clarify the whole "CO2 is bad" theory. CO2 is not bad; in fact, it is what plants use to breath and grow. They would die if all CO2 (carbon dioxide) was replaced with oxygen. The problem is not that CO2 is harmful, but that TOO MUCH CO2 is harmful.