Now that the FutureGen plant has been put on hold, is clean coal technology up in the air?
• Not at all. Clean coal technology refers not to any one project but to an entire suite of advanced technologies. For example, there are more than 300 research projects around the country where several billion dollars are being devoted to clean coal technology, each one breaking new ground and helping pave the way for an energy independent future. The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced that it plans to fund the addition of carbon controls for integrated gasification combined cycle power plants being planned. In addition, the agency will begin concentrating on several new carbon capture and sequestration projects. As for FutureGen itself … despite what you may have heard or read, the FutureGen project has not been cancelled. Even though former President Bush decided not to include FutureGen in his last budget proposal, Congress has the final say on funding. The discussion on FutureGen has simply moved to Capitol Hill. In the meantime, both citizens and legislators continue to
