August 20, 2010

Efforts to enact legislation that would limit carbon emissions have seemingly stalled. So it would appear that new standards to make the transmission wires more amenable to transporting green electrons are untimely. But those who are in charge of ensuring the dependency of the electric grid say that such measures are vital.

The essence of the argument presented by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. is that climate change initiatives are ongoing and that utilities are already incorporating those standards into their business plans. As such, if greenhouse gas emissions are to be cut, then it would require those power companies to diversify their generation portfolios and to offer more sustainable energy.

August 11, 2010

Carbon capture could become commercial within 10-15 years. And while it holds the potential to significantly cut heat-trapping emissions, it may be noticeably more expensive than current technologies and thereby cause consumers to pay more.

That's the primary findings of the Government Accountability Office, which concluded that current carbon capture and sequestration technologies would increase the cost of power by 30 percent to 80 percent, albeit it has greater potential to reduce carbon emissions than other ideas. The alternative to such progressive technologies is one that centers on improving efficiency gains, or reducing the amount of coal that is burned so as to limit emission levels.

August 04, 2010

The pursuit of carbon capture and sequestration technologies is a national priority. As such, the U.S. Department of Energy will award $67 million over three years to those projects that are developing the relevant tools.

While the Obama administration is best known for its stimulus funds aimed at producing more green technologies, it has also begun emphasizing carbon capture and sequestration. The White House has set a goal of bringing 5 to 10 demonstration projects on line by 2016 -- an endeavor that would focus for now on coal, which provides half of the nation's electric generation mix.

May 17, 2010

Just when the global warming debate starts to simmer, the reintroduction of legislation has caused it perk back up. Three senators across the great political divide have produced a bill that they think can win the votes to reach the president's desk.

The major sticking point is that of cap-and-trade. That is essentially a free-market approach -- as opposed to a command-and-control tack -- to curbing greenhouse gases. From there, the recently drafted bill would promote nuclear power, natural gas vehicles and clean coal. So, while the measure is meant to sway ambivalent lawmakers, it now proceeds to anger the more liberal constituents.

May 12, 2010

The controversy surrounding coal ash may finally settle. National regulators have issued a proposal and have given industry three months to respond -- one that presents two distinct possibilities while still allowing the beneficial reuse of the coal combustion byproduct in such things as cement.

While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said that its recommendations are the first time ever that coal ash would fall under national rules, it nevertheless has asked interested parties to weigh in on the options. The first of its solutions would be to regulate the toxic material under federal hazardous waste laws. The second would allow the EPA to make recommendations to the states, which would maintain control. In both cases, the landfills that take in coal ash would need liners and groundwater monitoring devices.