Coal is a fuel for America’s future. And we’re committed to ensuring that future is a clean one. Of course, commitment is more than a word – it requires action. That’s why the U.S. power industry has invested about $90 billion since 1990 to deploy clean coal technologies to reduce air emissions – while at the same time providing affordable, reliable electricity to meet growing energy needs.
Clean coal technology is real – and it is deployed across the U.S. and around the world to the benefit of people and our planet. Congress first coined the term “clean coal technology” in the mid-1980s – long before the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) was formed. Back then, Congress defined the phrase in reference to technologies that reduced sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. Today, it obviously means a lot more.
Clean coal technology refers to technologies that improve the environmental performance of coal-based electricity plants. These technologies include devices that increase the operational efficiency of a power plant, as well as those technologies that reduce emissions. Early work to develop clean coal technologies focused on efforts to reduce traditional pollutant emissions like sulfur dioxide (SO2); nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are a precursor to smog; and particulate matter. Clean coal technology will continue to improve in response to environmental challenges. Read more +
According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency figures, emissions of traditional pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act, have dropped significantly - even as the use of coal to generate electricity has nearly tripled to meet growing energy demand. That’s proof of the success of clean coal technology. And the coal-based electricity sector’s work to develop and deploy new technologies to capture and safely store CO2 is also evidence of the industry’s commitment to expanding the use of advanced clean coal technologies.
Of course, these continued innovations require investment from both private industry and the American government.
These public/private partnerships have been an important driver for innovations that have allowed electricity providers to meet new environmental standards while holding down costs to the consumer. Bringing these types of new technologies to the marketplace often involves investments in first-of-their-kind and first-of-their-scale technologies.
Past investments in clean coal technology have provided demonstrable benefits in the form of reduced emissions and cleaner air. An ACCCE-funded study, entitled DOE Clean Coal Technology Programs Offer Highest Return on Investment reports that, by 2020, American taxpayers will see a return of $13 for every dollar the government invests in these technologies.<<
Carbon Capture & Storage
Today, energy companies are working with the federal government to develop, demonstrate and deploy the next generation of advanced technologies.
Learn more +CCT Glossary
Want to learn more about clean coal technologies? Visit our glossary to learn all of the key terms regarding our commitment to a clean energy future.
CCT Jobs
Today, our nation is focused on economic recovery – and creating well-paying jobs has become the number-one priority for most policymakers.