Study: carbon-cutting must address coal plants.(Inside Business)

A recent study on coal plants and carbon emissions by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology finds there is "no credible pathway" toward stringent cuts in greenhouse gas emissions worldwide without addressing coal-fired plants.

The report summary was released by Progress Arkansas, a group that seeks to build consensus and support for economic, energy and environmental policies that will support growth and prosperity for Arkansas.

The report, written by professor Ernest Moniz, director of the MIT Energy Initiative and former undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, concludes retrofit technology is feasible, but that not enough is being done to implement it on a large scale and to make it viable for growing countries like China that are actively developing coal power as a low-cost and efficient source of electricity.

Among the key findings of the study:

* Some $12 billion to $15 billion should be spent over the next decade to "dramatically expand" federal government programs to demonstrate large-scale, sustained CO2 capture-and-sequestration technology for existing plants.

* At least $1 billion in federal funds should be invested annually for roughly 10 years while creating more flexibility and improved certainty for research into advanced technology, efficiency and repowering or rebuilding options.

Arkansas is the current battleground for a $1.6 billion coal-fired plant under construction by Southwestern Electric Power Co. in Hempstead County. The state Court of Appeals ruled last week that state regulators did not adequately review the plans for the plant and rejected the permit for construction.

Print Get the Mag Weekly Updates