The following statement was released by National Mining Association (NMA) President and CEO Hal Quinn after the White House announced the creation of a federal inter-agency task force on carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The task force will be led by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and will include the Environmental Protection Agency: 

„News that the president will create a high-level task force on CCS technology is very welcome. Itís an acknowledgement by the administration not only of the importance of this technology for controlling global greenhouse gas emissions, but also of the vital role played by coal in supplying affordable electricity to America and a growing world economy. 

„There is widespread agreement among both private and public energy experts that reducing concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions without carbon capture and storage technology will be difficult, if not impossible. Coal has been the worldís fastest growing fuel in each of the past five years. Projected coal consumption in rapidly expanding economies such as Chinaís and Indiaís strongly suggests that greater public-sector support for CCS technology is imperative. Coal-based generation, which already supplies half of this countryís electricity, is essential to maintaining reliable and affordable electricity so America can continue to prosper in an increasingly competitive world. 

„U.S. mining is eager to cooperate with the task force in furthering the development and deployment of CCS and other advanced clean coal technologies.“

Bookmark this page!