Prospects for Advanced Coal Technologies: Efficient Energy Production, Carbon Capture and Sequestration
Opening Statement By Chairman Nick Lampson
I am pleased to welcome our witnesses here today to talk about a critical issue – advancing technologies designed to reduce coal power’s carbon dioxide emissions.
I think our panelists bring a wealth of knowledge to share about cleaner production of electricity at both new and existing coal-fired power plants. And, we have several witnesses who will discuss the technical issues regarding long term geological storage of CO2. Again, I welcome our witnesses and thank you for testifying before the Subcommittee this afternoon.
As many of us in this room know, approximately 50% of the electricity generated in the United States is from coal. According to DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) carbon dioxide emissions in the United States and its territories were just over six billion metric tons in 2005, and the electric power sector generates approximately 40% of the nations CO2 emissions.
Because we will continue to rely on coal for a large percent of our energy consumption for the foreseeable future, there is a growing national and global interest in developing strategies to reduce significantly the billions of tons of carbon dioxide released into our atmosphere from this source.
If we are going to implement policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the use of coal, today’s hearing will help us better understand how far along we have come in meeting this challenge and how much further we may need to go.
I understand that promising technologies are being developed to improve the efficient production of electricity from coal-fired power plants which could help to reduce CO2 emissions. I look forward to learning more about the deployment of technologies that can capture CO2 from new and existing power plants and keep it out of the atmosphere.
We must advance our technical ability to capture CO2 and prepare the heat-trapping gas for safe and effective storage in geologic formations. Without commercialization of carbon capture technologies and effective strategies to transport the CO2 from capture to long-term storage, we run the risk of profound damages to our climate system.
I believe that coal will continue to remain a major energy source in the United States. I also believe the government, in partnership with private industry and universities, can take great strides in reducing coal’s contribution to global warming.
I look forward to hearing from our panelists about the challenges we face to design a carbon capture and sequestration strategy that is sensible and meaningful.
Witnesses
Panel
2 - Dr. Robert J. Finley
Director Energy and Earth Resources Center Ilinois State Geological Survey Energy and Earth Resources Center Ilinois State Geological Survey
Download the Witness Testimony
1 - Mr. Carl O. Bauer
Director National Energy Technology Laboratory Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory Department of Energy
Download the Witness Testimony
3 - Mr. Michael Rencheck
Senior Vice President Engineering Projects and Field Services American Electric Power Engineering Projects and Field Services American Electric Power
Download the Witness Testimony
4 - Mr. Stu Dalton
Director, Generation Electric Power Research Institute Electric Power Research Institute
Download the Witness Testimony
5 - Mr. Gardiner Hill
Director of Technology in Alternative Energy Technology BP BP
Download the Witness Testimony