Clean Coal Technology

Lighting the Path Toward America's Cleaner Energy Future

Coal is already America's most secure, affordable and abundant source of energy. But thanks to clean coal technology, it has the potential to be among its cleanest as well.

Regulated emissions from coal-based electricity generation have decreased overall by nearly 40 percent since the 1970's, while the use of coal has tripled.

According to the National Energy Technology Laboratory, coal-based power plants being built today emit 90 percent less pollutants (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and mercury) than the plants they replaced from the 1970's. With new technologies and even greater research and development investments, we don't intend to stop there.

Currently, clean coal technology uses advanced coal combustion, or energy generation processes, to reduce emissions from coal-powered plants. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) manages the Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) -- a project that builds upon the success of the agency's existing CCT program, which helped create more than 20 low-cost, efficient technologies in use today. CCPI fosters public/private partnerships to support and encourage research, development and demonstrations of clean coal technologies that have the potential for large-scale commercial deployment.

With continued support from the federal government and enhanced public/private partnerships, CCT research and development will allow America to use its 240-year supply of coal reserves and provide Cleaner, affordable energy to its business and consumers.

Some of the work being done right now to advance Clean Coal Initiatives includes:

Efficiency Improvements - While some efficiency technologies are commercially available, others require continued research, development and demonstration. Improved efficiency measures at an existing plant can reduce CO2 emissions by 10-16 percent, and by 2025, new units could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 30 percent.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) – This technology captures and stores carbon dioxide emissions in geologic formations or deep in the ocean where it dissolves under high pressure. (Click here for more information)

Advanced High-efficiency Combustion - For generating systems with increased operating temperatures, new computerized controls, improved burner designs and high performance turbines would help increase efficiency and reduce emissions.

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) – IGCC is an emerging technology that uses heat and pressure to convert coal into a synthetic gas, ultimately lowering emissions. This technology has the potential to improve coal's fuel efficiency rate by half, and it may serve as another solution for capturing and storing CO2.

Ultra-Supercritical Pulverized Coal - Operating at higher temperature and pressure levels to increase efficiency, plants adopting this technology consume less coal and, therefore, emit less CO2 per kilowatt hour than existing coal-fired plants.