As the Power Past Coal project launches, we see some big news from Capitol Hill and the media regarding the demise of so-called “clean coal.”
First, in the Senate confirmation hearing for new Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, longtime West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller (pictured) started a ramble about energy politics that surprised all in attendance when he remarked, “Coal is dirty. ‘Clean coal’ is dirty.” (You can watch a video and read an analysis by our friends at WonkRoom here) While Sen. Rockefeller was incorrect in his speech when he claimed that there are two coal-fired power plants in the country that sequester their carbon emissions (in reality, no such plants exist), we can hope that his new-found distaste for coal can help us guarantee that we transition coal out of America’s energy future.
From the pages of the New York Times comes an editorial entitled “Collapse of the Clean Coal Myth.” It seems that the hard work of clean energy advocates, Appalachian residents, and bloggers have paid off and the massive TVA coal ash spill will not dissolve into the background. The Times’ editorial board highlights Senator Barabara Boxer (D-CA) and her new efforts to regulate coal ash in the wake of one of the biggest environmental disasters in recent history. Also highlighted is a court case in North Carolina in which a judge mandated that four coal-fired power plants must reduce thier carbon emissions as the pollution is a “public nuisance” to the residents of the state.
These actions show us that the movement against coal is gaining steam. Power Past Coal’s 100 days of action will help propel our stories from statehouse to statehouse, from the Capitol to the White House. Already many Americans are hosting actions across the country, sharing how coal affects their lives and how they stand to benefit from a switch to a clean energy economy. People like Elouise Brown, a Dine woman who has spent the past three years working to stop the construction of new coal power plants on her Navajo reservation.
great post with some key links! I had heard about this from a friend as was waiting for one of us to pick up on it. Thanks for putting this up!
Seems like your reporting is a little lop-sided and mis-guided. Mr. Rockefeller goes on to say:
“The United States has more than a 250-year supply of coal, and a lot of it is mined by hard-working people in West Virginia,” Rockefeller said. “As a coal state senator, I believe that there can be no serious discussions about our energy future or climate change unless we’re willing to make immediate, significant and sustained investments in carbon capture and sequestration.
“Advanced coal technologies have to be part of the solution to our nation’s energy independence, and should be included as part of economic stimulus.”
“There is no time to waste,” Rockefeller said “Deploying advanced coal technologies will create jobs for West Virginians and people across America, and they will put our country on the path toward energy independence, which is exactly what we need to achieve if we’re going to have a thriving economy again.”