Jason Hayes, ACC Communications Director has been invited by the editors of a new news and social content website -- www.opposingviews.com -- to join the discussion on important energy issues we are facing today. He was asked to debate two questions, 1) Should the US Build More Coal-Fired Power Plants? and 2) Is Nuclear Power America's Best Energy Alternative?
Several media outlets, along with Senate, and the FutureGen Alliance websites were praising the July 8th and July 11th votes by the The Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee and Senate Appropriations Committee respectively. In both votes, the Senate chose to protect $134 million in federal funding for the FutureGen plant at Matoon, Il.
In two separate FutureGen Alliance news releases, CEO Michael Mudd applauded the decision as helping to move the world's first near-zero emissions coal plant closer to reality.
NCC - Urgency of Sustainable CoalFrom the Introduction to the National Coal Council's latest report, the "Urgency of Sustainable Coal".
On October 12, 2007, the Secretary requested the National Coal Council conduct an additional study to “focus on several technological options to increase coal use consistent with the environmental goals of the country.” Pursuant to this request, the NCC submits the current report, The Urgency of Sustainable Coal. Significant energy-related events have occurred in the past several years that have far reaching implications for the United States and for the central role coal will play in the world’s future. The present 2008 report follows the Secretary’s directive and refines and extends the findings and recommendations in the earlier reports, particularly in regard: 1) Carbon management technologies; 2) Legal and regulatory issues; 3) Hybrid electric vehicles; 4) In-situ coal gasification and; 5) Converting coal to liquid fuel (CTL) and substitute natural gas (SNG).
A June 18th, 08 Powerspan/Basin Electric Power Cooperative (BEPC) news release describes their efforts to advance an industry-leading carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project in North Dakota.
As part of his campaign platform, Republican Presidential nominee, John McCain is calling for a variety of measures aimed at increasing domestic energy production and reducing American dependence on foreign energy resources.
Alongside of his calls for ending the federal moratorium on drilling for offshore oil reserves and expanding the royalty sharing agreements with states, McCain is also calling for the construction of 45 new nuclear reactors by 2030. McCain further proposed to provide $2 billion per year in funding to aid in the development of clean coal technologies.
In a June 13 letter from Energy Secretary, Samuel Bodman, the Department of Energy has indicated its plans to cease all funding to the FutureGen project and withdraw from the FutureGen Alliance -- a public-private group founded on the goal of building a near-zero emissions coal-fueled generation plant. The DOEs decision cemented its intentions towards the project and closed out some short-term options for the FutureGen Alliance group.
