The Texas Clean Energy Project is joining the list of clean coal technology plants working to change the way coal-fueled plants are run across the country. Earlier this month, San Antonio’s CPS Energy agreed to buy 200 MW of electricity from a federally supported clean coal plant outside of Midland-Odessa, Texas, upon its completion in 2015. The plant, known as the Texas Clean Energy Project, is capable of capturing incredibly high amounts of emissions, and when finished, will be the cleanest coal-fueled power plant in the world.
Using new advances in clean coal technology, DOE reports that TCEP plant will be capable of capturing about 90 percent of the carbon dioxide, 99 percent of the sulfur dioxide, 90 percent of the nitrogen oxide and 99 percent of the mercury it produces.
What’s even more interesting about this TCEP? The $2.4 billion plant will receive $450 million in funding from the Department’s Clean Coal Power Initiative.
In light of this project, it’s surprising that President Obama didn’t mention coal when calling for an “all-out, all-of-the-above” energy agenda during last week’s State of the Union. As the country’s most abundant natural resource, coal is the America’s dominant source of electricity. With projects like this one in Texas and the Turk Plant in Arkansas, it’s clear that coal should be included in the president’s strategy to move toward a clean energy future.
Last week, the America’s Power Facebook page polled fans to see what issue they’d like to see Congress tackle in 2012. The answer isn’t surprising: most said jobs and the economy.
The coal industry is responsible for more than half a million jobs across the country, including Americans working to develop and implement clean coal technology. A few months ago, we highlighted three ways that coal can help create and maintain American jobs.
- Affordable Energy for Job Creators: Just ask any small business owner. The more affordable the electricity rates, the more flexible the budget. Meet Olivia Albright, a small business owner working with a tight budget. Olivia discusses how important low electricity rates are to her company, as it helps ensure the jobs of her employees, who “are like family.”
- Coal’s Direct and Indirect Jobs: The coal mining industry is responsible for more than 550,000 U.S. jobs—including 154,000 direct jobs and 400,000 indirect jobs.
- Advanced Coal Technology: According to a study ACCCE commissioned in 2010, deployment of clean coal technologies would create 150,000 jobs across 30 states, creating many high-skilled, high-wage American jobs.
Let’s keep Congress focused on getting Americans back to work this year. Tell them coal can get the job done.
The State of the Union address was most notable for what was left unsaid, namely any mention of coal – America’s dominant source of electricity – in the President’s plan for our nation’s energy future. It is inconceivable that we can reach our shared national goals of creating jobs, rebuilding U.S. manufacturing and keeping energy affordable for our families and businesses without domestically-produced coal playing a central role.
Tonight the President stated, “This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy— a strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper and full of new jobs.” Coal is the centerpiece of that “all-of-the-above” national strategy. Coal is cleaner; with major emissions from coal-fueled power plants reduced almost 90 percent over the past 40 years. It is affordable and allows American families to meet their budgets and enables our businesses to be more competitive in the global economy. And the coal-fueled electricity industry is full of existing and new jobs in states across this country.
The reality is that the state of our union can only remain strong if we continue to depend on America’s fuel—coal—to power our future.