Bluefield Daily Telegraph
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Bipartisan legislation jointly introduced this week by U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and U.S. Sen. George V. Voinovich, R-Ohio, is a step in the right direction when it comes to promoting research and creating incentives for the development and deployment of clean coal technologies and carbon storage techniques.
The Carbon Capture and Storage Deployment Act of 2010 will invest in clean coal and carbon capture and storage techniques, according to Rockefeller and Voinovich.
Rockefeller argues that America must have a plan in place to invest in carbon capture and storage techniques so that coal can continue to play a commanding role in meeting the nation’s energy needs well into the future.
“West Virginia is one of the leading coal-producers in our country; our coal miners keep the lights on in so many American homes and provide nearly half the electricity to this country,” Rockefeller said Wednesday. “This bipartisan legislation represents the next generation of our energy economy — one that invests in clean coal and CCS technologies, and keeps America less reliant on foreign fuel sources.”
According to Voinovich, Ohio uses coal for more than 85 percent of its energy needs.
Voinovich said Ohio’s position as a manufacturing center is largely attributable to its historical access to a readily available, low-cost energy supply. He correctly argues that coal is still America’s most abundant and affordable domestic source of energy. Voinovich believes American can meet its energy demands for 250 years with the available domestic coal.
However, in order for that to happen, both Rockefeller and Voinovich believe it is vital to find innovative ways to move cleaner coal forward through carbon capture and storage techniques.
The legislation, if approved, will authorize a cooperative industry-government research and development program in the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy to spur additional carbon capture and storage-related research and development, according to the two lawmakers. The Industry partners would be required to match up to 20 percent of the government’s investment.
The legislation also would provide tax credits based on the amount of carbon dioxide captured at facilities, providing price certainty for investors in power plants and industrial facilities, Rockefeller and Voinovich said.
The ultimate goal of the act is to spur private sector development and innovation of clean technologies while dramatically reducing air pollution by capturing and storing greenhouse gases, according to Rockefeller and Voinovich.
The legislation is a step in right direction when it comes to coal and clean coal technologies.
It’s a much more logical approach than some of the more extreme cap-and-trade and climate change measures that are currently being considered by other lawmakers in Washington and the Obama administration.
We urge passage of this new measure, and see no reason why any lawmaker from West Virginia or Virginia would not support the bipartisan Carbon Capture and Storage Deployment Act of 2010.
