New Blog: Saving Coal
WASHINGTON—Coal is an energy source considered by many to be on the ropes. A new blog posted by two senior researchers at Resources for the Future (RFF) notes that even before Donald Trump elevated resurgence of the US coal industry to a conspicuous plank in his presidential campaign, the prospect of coal’s viability was fading. But in the new post, RFF Senior Fellow Joel Darmstadter and Senior Policy Advisor Jan W. Mares also note that there is one “technological lifeline” offering coal a cautiously promising respite.
That technology is carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), which provides for the capture of greenhouse gases released at coal-fueled power plants, followed by injection of those gases into such deep subsurface reservoirs as to ensure its enduring containment.
“A CCS approach to greenhouse-gas management is not entirely speculative,” the authors note. In the post, they evaluate its viability, laying out the serious challenges that must be addressed if coal is to be granted a meaningful reprieve.
Read the entire blog post: Saving Coal: Reprieve through Carbon Capture and Sequestration?
Resources for the Future (RFF) is an independent, nonprofit research institution in Washington, DC. Its mission is to improve environmental, energy, and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement. RFF is committed to being the most widely trusted source of research insights and policy solutions leading to a healthy environment and a thriving economy.
Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed here are those of the individual authors and may differ from those of other RFF experts, its officers, or its directors. RFF does not take positions on specific legislative proposals.
For more information, please see our media resources page or contact Media Relations and Communications Specialist Annie McDarris.
