|
 |
|
|
|
President's Message: Coal Need Not Be a Dirty Four-Letter Word |
|
|
|
Written On: November/December 2004 |
|
|
|
Written By: By Don C. Brunell, AWB President |
|
|
|
Coal is undeservingly the new dirty four-letter word on the campaign trail. It is politically incorrect. Worse yet, any attempt to rationally discuss the merits of clean coal technology sends many politicians scurrying to raise cash to run TV ads talking about the promise of wind power.
Unfortunately, only a small part of the answer to our power crisis is blowing in the wind as folk singers Peter Paul and Mary’s lyrics suggest. Today, the reality is we need to generate lots of electricity from coal, and coal offers a way to transition to hydrogen-based fuel systems.
For example, new innovations in coal burning technology eliminate nearly all pollutants, and some of the resulting electricity can be directed to crack water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen could eventually replace gasoline in our cars and replenish oxygen in our atmosphere.
Working Toward Zero Emissions
That’s one of the components of President Bush’s energy initiative which invests $1 billion in demonstration projects over the next 10 years to create the world’s first coal-based, zero-emissions electricity and hydrogen power plants.
Under the President’s companion Clear Skies Initiative, the Dept. of Energy (DOE) funds clean coal projects. For example, DOE recently announced it will fund 25 percent of a New Mexico project which will remove more than 98 percent of the sulfur and nitrogen-based contaminants and 90 percent of the mercury from coal while turning the by-products into high-quality granular fertilizer.
In Washington, TransAlta has installed two flu gas desulphurization (FGD) units at its Centralia plant that filter out more than 94 percent of the sulfur-dioxide, a contributor to “acid rain.” That power plant is now one of the cleanest coal power plants in the world.
There’s an added benefit to TransAlta’s Centralia plant. That scrubbing process results in tons of excess commercial grade synthetic gypsum, an environmentally friendly ingredient in “green wallboard” made by manufacturers such as Georgia-Pacific at its Tacoma facility.
Without Coal, Our Lights Flicker
More importantly, the fear mongering about coal ignores the basic fact that, without coal, America’s lights flicker and our industrial power shuts off because more than half our electricity comes from coal.
The “green sources” touted by the anti-coal faction will not bring us enough electricity to run our computers and internet server farms, smelt aluminum, and make paper, heat and light our homes and offices, and drive Seattle’s electrified buses, monorail and light-rail system.
I am not suggesting we abandon development of solar, wind, biomass, fuel cells and hydrogen technology. Hopefully, one day those sources may provide enough power at a reasonable cost to replace fossil fuels, but in the meantime, we have to live and work and that means we must depend upon coal.
More importantly, if we don’t supply enough energy for our economy, our competitors will. In fact, China’s Ambassador to the United States told a small group of us in New Orleans that his nation is expanding its generating sources in any way it can. While the Chinese plan to build new nuclear and hydroelectric projects, the fact is, China is building new coal-fired plants as fast as it can.
Energy capacity is governing China’s growth. It will in America as well, but the U.S has two key advantages. We have roughly twice as much coal and better pollution abatement technology.
America is the Saudi Arabia of Coal
Our country is to coal what Saudi Arabia is to oil. The Saudis have roughly a quarter of the world’s known oil reserves, while states led by Wyoming, Montana, Kentucky and West Virginia harbor about the same percentage of the world’s coal.
Today, with crude oil hovering between $50 and $55 a barrel and natural gas equally expensive, American cannot afford to substitute foreign fuels for coal.
Add to that the fact that China’s sizzling economy is demanding more and more oil. A National Geographic Magazine photo caption said it best: “China: Next King of the Road? 1.3 billion people, 10 million cars—and counting.”
China just leapfrogged ahead of Japan as the world’s second largest importer of crude oil, and by 2025 China could be using 10 million barrels a day—roughly what the U.S. is projected to consume. More importantly, 70 percent of China’s electricity comes from coal-fired plants and that isn’t likely to change.
Therefore, regardless of how unpopular coal-burning is, it is still a fact of life. Rather than treating coal as the unwanted stepchild, why not develop the clean coal technology President Bush suggests?
In turn, our clean coal technology could be sold around the world. That would be the best way for the countries across the planet to significantly reduce greenhouse gases, acid rain and other unwanted pollutants while expanding their economies and improving the quality of life for all their citizens.
|
|
|
|
