Bold recommendation to halt coal fired plants in England until carbon capture is available
It is well established that coal fired plants account for a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Abundant coal supplies in America and China have led to a prevalence of these dirty power plants and consequently, an urgency to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) techniques. CCS, once implemented, will mitigate the carbon released into the atmosphere from coal fired plants.
It was reported this week that the Environmental Agency in the United Kingdom has recommended that no new coal fired plants be permitted until CCS technology is included in every new plant. This recommendation, if accepted by the prime minister’s office, could halt the construction of a large coal plant in Kent, to be built by German energy giant E.ON.
The Agency justified its opposition by stating “Building a new generation of coal-fired stations without capturing the carbon emissions would lock the UK into using high-carbon technology for decades to come.” However, proponents of the E.ON plant argue that Britain will face an energy shortage by 2015 if new plants are not brought online.
What better way to motivate the rapid development of CCS than an impending energy shortage? America should take note-as we continue to face increasingly limited energy supplies, will we opt for the quick and easy short-term solution (like increased drilling), or will we make a commitment to alternatives that can provide a meaningful long-term solution? If the country that sparked the Industrial Revolution can do it, so can we.
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