Published: January 05, 2008 07:31 pm      

Controlling emissions crucial to coal industry

BLUEFIELD, Va. — As the demand for energy continues to grow globally and the cost of oil keeps escalating to unprecedented heights, the demand for coal will likely grow in the future.

U.S. Rep. Frederick C. “Rick” Boucher, D-Va., chairman of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, said that the federal government is primed to start a major research and development program aimed at controlling carbon dioxide emissions through a carbon capture and sequestration program.

“Our goal is to respond to global warming,” Boucher said. “The demand for energy is rising globally.”

Boucher’s ninth congressional district includes some of Virginia’s most prolific coal mining operations. While he said that coal is a logical component of the national energy policy, mandatory greenhouse gas controls will have an impact on the industry.

Less than a year ago, Boucher and his subcommittee members heard a report from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change on the U.S. Climate Action Partnership. Testimony at that hearing included a report on carbon capture and storage.

The Climate Action Partnership urged congress to require the Environmental Protection Agency to establish new regulations “to permit long-term geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide from stationary sources.” The partnership recognized coal-based energy’s role in meeting national and international energy needs, but recommended the creation of policies to “speed transition to low and zero emission stationary sources that can cost effectively capture CO2 emissions for geologic sequestration.

President George W. Bush signed a portion of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 into law on Dec. 18, 2007. That part of the policy called for improved vehicular fuel economy, but according to a press release from “Energy Security for the 21st Century,” Bush called on congress to act on the remaining proposals of his energy security agenda to change the way the nation generates electric energy through more use of cleaner coal technology, solar power, wind energy and safe nuclear power.

Boucher cautioned that identifying and testing underground CO2 storage facilities as well as developing a transportation network to take CO2 from power plants to storage areas would take several years to develop. However, Boucher mentioned it is one of the priorities that he will be pursuing in 2008.

— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com