Abundant • Reliable • Affordable • Clean
The United States has vast coal resources. At the current rate of consumption, our coal reserves could last into the 23rd century. Today, emerging technologies are being developed to make this abundant resource as clean as possible. Not only do they reduce emissions, these technologies capture the byproducts of coal, many of which are quite valuable. To learn more about coal basics, click here.
Electricity
America currently gets half of its electricity from coal. Demand for electricity is expected to increase significantly, and coal is currently the cheapest source for producing electricity in this country.
Many power plant emissions are already regulated by state and federal agencies. The government has defined minimum standards new power-generating facilities must meet. Scrubbers and other technologies help make coal cleaner on existing facilities by removing excess emissions and particles before they reach the atmosphere. To learn more about current technologies, click here.
Several emerging technologies aim to make coal cleaner and more efficient. The most commonly discussed clean coal generating technology is Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle, or IGCC. This process reacts coal with steam at high temperatures and pressures to form a synthetic gas, which can then power a combustion turbine. Heat exhaust from the first turbine then powers a second turbine run on steam, thus increasing efficiency. To learn more about IGCC, click here.
Other technologies, many of which are being developed by our member companies, are cleaning coal before it reaches electric plants. These technologies have been proven to reduce mercury and emissions on existing plants without additional scrubbers. To read learn more about work our member companies are doing, click here.
Hydrogen
Another valuable byproduct of coal is hydrogen (H2). This element can be used for fuel cells, additional electric production, or refining oil. To learn more about hydrogen, click here.
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide (CO2), a byproduct of burning coal, can be captured using several different clean coal technologies. The two most commonly-discussed methods of disposing of CO2 following carbon capture are carbon sequestration and enhanced oil recovery (EOR).
In carbon sequestration, CO2 is pressurized and injected deep into the earth’s surface. Geologic formations seal in this pressurized CO2 indefinitely. Texas and other states along the Gulf Coast are ideal for sequestration. To learn more about sequestration, click here.
Enhanced Oil Recovery is already popular in Texas. CO2, injected into existing oil wells, can help drillers recover additional barrels of oil. EOR has the potential to reopen existing wells that have laid dormant for decades. This technology has the potential to help America become more energy independent with no new drilling. To learn more about EOR, click here.
Other byproducts
Other coal byproducts from existing facilities have important industrial uses. Fly ash from coal has been used for concrete and other construction materials. Sulfur, which is found in coal to varying degrees, is used for hundreds of uses ranging from industrial fertilizers to household bleach. To learn more about these byproducts, click here.
