Coal leads EPA regulations

In February 2009 the coal industry lobby published the following post on the blog "Coal Can Do That"

Coal-to-Gas is Off-the-Shelf Energy Solution

Dr. Frank Clemente

The Question: “How can we obtain enough NG at affordable prices to (1) power over 400,000 MW of NG based generation capacity, (2) heat tens of millions of homes and buildings, (3) meet the needs of manufacturing and agriculture, and (4) make ethanol, fertilizer and other energy related products?

The Answer: We can’t.

Enter substitute natural gas (SNG), the product of coal gasification, an established technology that has been around for a century and currently in use throughout the world. SNG facilities can now be made “carbon storage ready” to take advantage of emerging technologies in CO2 capture, leading the way to a virtually emission free use of coal. The captured CO2 can then be stored indefinitely or more productively, be utilized to recover “stranded” oil in depleted fields throughout the nation. Texas alone, for example, has over 35 billion barrels of potentially recoverable oil using CO2 injection.

In addition, SNG technology:

• Produces pipeline quality NG equivalents that can be used to fuel power plants, heat homes and manufacture a wide range of goods.
• Removes 95% of the mercury and virtually 100% of the sulfur. Further, the captured sulfur can be used to make fertilizer and the ash from combustion of coal can be used to make roads and related infrastructure.
• Provides fuel for the hundreds of NG dependent power plants we imprudently built over the past decade based on erroneous predictions of NG price and production. In short, prices have escalated and production has stagnated leaving many NG power plants too expensive to operate.
• Boost the economy of local communities and provide well paying jobs. A planned SNG state-of-the-art facility in Kentucky, for example, will create 1,200 construction jobs for four years, 500 permanent jobs and pump over $100 million into the economy of host Muhlenberg County and surrounding communities.

SNG is a prime example of how off the shelf clean coal conversion technologies can improve our quality of life and fully unlock the socioeconomic value of our greatest energy resource – coal. And the ability to remove just about all the sulfur will open up new vistas for use of coal resources in many states. Missouri, for example, has substantial coal resources that are relatively high in sulfur. SNG will open the door to these resources and significantly benefit economic growth in such states.

In August 2012 the coal industry lobby published the following post to oppose EPA regulations asking that it deliver on what it said in 2009 - "Coal Can Do That" (cut mercury emissions).
Go figure.

New EPA Rules Cost Jobs and Growth

A wave of U.S. EPA regulations would reduce coal use and cost families an average of $270  every year -- at a time when millions are struggling. Low-cost energy from coal is an engine of economic growth, responsible for nearly 7 million jobs and $1 trillion in GDP. Take action to keep costs low and jobs at home.
Go to the site
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Four new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency would further regulate the operation of coal-fueled power plants. The most expensive of these is called the Utility mercury and other hazardous emissions (MACT) rule. We asked National Economic Research Associates (NERA), an independent research firm, to model the potential economic impact if all four rules are implemented. Using data from many sources, including the EPA itself and the U.S. Energy Information Administration, its models paint a very sobering picture.

Every family will lose an average of $270 a year of disposable income through 2020 under these new rules.

Potential Impacts of EPA Air, Coal Combustion Residuals, and Cooling Water Regulations

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This report evaluates the potential energy and economic impacts of four major environmental regulations that would affect the electricity sector. The regulations include two major air emission policies—the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) and regulation of mercury and other hazardous emissions (Utility MACT)...