Supporters of Coal Fired Electricity Weigh into Presidential Campaign

As the hours of the 2008 election wind down, both Senator Obama and Senator McCain continue to express their strong support for coal, America's most abundant energy resource, during a campaign that has seen energy security and costs at the forefront of the national debate.

In the past year, the presidential candidates have heard directly from thousands of Americans who advocate the use of coal to generate electricity in town hall meetings, on street corners, and in people's homes. As they refined their policy positions, both Senator McCain and Senator Obama have gained a deeper understanding of coal, which fuels half of America's electricity. Moreover, both Senators Obama and McCain have recognized that investing in new coal-based power plants and advanced technologies that will be retrofitted to existing power plants will create thousands upon thousands of jobs for American workers and help begin to rebuild our economy.

On the campaign trail this fall, Senator Obama has said, "I am a big proponent of clean-coal technology and I want us to move rapidly in developing those sequestration technologies that are required. A huge percentage of our electricity is generated by coal. What we need to do though is to put clean coal technology on the fast track and that means money. It means investment in research."

Likewise, Senator McCain has recently said, "Perhaps no advancement in energy technology could mean more to America than the clean burning of coal and the capture and storage of carbon emissions. This single achievement will open vast amounts of our oldest and most abundant resource. And it will deliver not only electricity but jobs to some of the areas hardest hit by our economic troubles."

The acknowledgement by both presidential candidates of coal's vital role in America's energy future is the cornerstone of sound policymaking at the federal, state, and local levels, according to Steve Miller, President of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. Miller pointed out that:

• America's growing population, along with many new consumer electronic products entering the marketplace every day, trigger increased demand for more electricity-despite ongoing efforts to dramatically improve energy efficiency. The increased electrification of our nation is a significant contributor to longer life expectancy and to an enhanced quality of life for millions of Americans. Coal has driven much of this increased domestic electrification over many decades.
• U.S. electricity demand has been growing at double the rate that the nation is adding electricity generation capacity-a trend that cannot continue if we are to maintain sufficient reserve margins and, therefore, the reliability of the electricity grid.
• America has about 250 years of domestic coal reserves at current usage rates. U.S. coal reserves have more energy potential than the Middle Eastern countries have in their oil fields. Public policies that would force fuel switching away from coal could also make the U.S. substantially more reliant on imported fuels and, thus, endanger our nation's energy security.
• Public policies that would force fuel switching away from coal will inevitably lead to significantly higher electricity costs and dramatic job losses (especially in energy-intensive industries), while crippling our efforts to lessen the effects of the current economic recession. According to a leading electric power industry journal, 23 of the 25 power plants in the U.S. that have the lowest operating costs (and therefore provide power to their consumers at the lowest prices) are powered by coal.
• According to statistics published by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Census Bureau, American working families earning between $10,000 and $50,000 per year have seen their household energy costs more than double since 1997. Sixty million American households are now paying almost 25% of their total household income to cover energy-related expenditures (both transportation and residential energy costs). Americans living on low and fixed incomes suffer disproportionately from these energy costs increases.
• The cost of energy is profoundly important to both economic growth and human health. According to a 2006 Annapolis Center report, "Strong and convincing evidence exists in the public health literature that economic growth-development and inexpensive energy drive worldwide improvement in health and longevity." Additionally, a published 2005 study by Dr. M. Harvey Brenner of Johns Hopkins University found that, if coal were removed from the energy mix, approximately 170,000-368,000 premature deaths would occur in the U.S. by 2010.

"These facts clearly show that meeting our current and future energy needs dictates a continued, strong reliance on American coal," Miller said. "By investing in new technologies, America's vast coal reserves can help secure our energy future, keep energy costs affordable, create good, high-paying jobs for American workers, and continue our steady progress on reducing emissions and protecting the environment. This is the kind of innovation the coal-based electricity sector will bring to the table in working with the new President, the next Congress, and other policy makers across the country."

Miller stated that ACCCE is committed to collaborating with decision makers to craft responsible policies for our nation that recognize the inextricable linkage between energy security, economic prosperity, and a cleaner environment.

In this regard, ACCCE supports rapid and widespread research, development, deployment and commercialization of innovative, advanced clean coal and other technologies-including carbon capture, transportation, safe storage, and terrestrial carbon sequestration-that are vital to the success of prudent climate change policies.