coal power summit january 14, 2008 sponsored by: sierra club of il climate justice chicago

January 14, 2008 www.rachel.org1

Coal Power SummitJanuary 14, 2008

Sponsored by:

Sierra Club of IL

Climate Justice Chicago


• Introductions

• Considering local (Fisk/Crawford) vs. Regional (fleet wide) approaches/activism

• Special report: FutureGen 'clean coal' in IL

• Priorities…how we get to no more coal!

Agenda


FutureGenCarbon Sequestration, IGCC, Coal to Liquid Fuel

The Future of ‘Clean Coal’


www.futuregenforillinois.com

What Is Coal Gasification?

• As an alternative to burning coal, the process of gasification coverts coal from a solid state into a gas

• The gas—mostly of hydrogen and carbon monoxide and very similar to natural gas—can be used to make chemicals and/or electric power


Analogy of FutureGen: Polk Power Plant

• IGCC complete in 1996• 250 MW output


Myth?

Reality…


What is Integrated Combined Cycle (IGCC)?

• It is the combining of a gasification plant with a combined cycle of electric generating plant.


IGCC…


Sequestration at Mattoon


Carbon SequestrationCarbon Capture & Storage (CCS)

An industrial plan to bury as much as 10 trillion tons of carbon dioxide deep in the ground, hoping it will stay there forever.


Status…benefits

• Endorsed by major environmental groups, universities, philanthropies and the federal government.

• Would allow coal and oil firms to retain and even expand their market share, eliminating the need for substantial innovation.

• Greatly reduce the incentive for Congress to invest in renewable energy.

• Might protect coal and oil corporations from legal liability for global warming


What if it doesn’t work?

• Failure would occur decades or centuries into the future…

• Current generation of decision-makers, researchers, philanthropists, and environmental advocates could no longer be held accountable.


Who will benefit?

Once large-scale carbon sequestration has begun, the coal industry will be free to unleash an enormous new enterprise turning coal into liquid fuels (CTL) ...


Coal to Liquid Fuels (CTL)

• Perfected during WWII by the Germans

• Exceptionally dirty … produces twice as much carbon dioxide per gallon of fuel

• Uses 7 gallons of water for every gallon of fuel produced.


Why now?

“In a carbon-constrained world, CCS is needed to save coal”

"Saline aquifers will either make or break this technology," -- Howard Herzog (MIT)

…without carbon sequestration, the coal industry itself cannot survive.


CCS: Danger of Tiny Leaks

• Today we emit eight billion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere each year... global warming

• Fossil fuels left in the ground contain 4,130 billion tonnes of carbon globally

• Burn and capture just 25% of that... leakage of only 0.8% of the total per year would exceed the current annual human contribution to atmospheric carbon.

• Burn 75%, then annual leakage of 0.26% of the total would exceed the current annual human contribution to atmospheric carbon.


80% Reduction by 2050…

• If we accept this estimate of the carbon reduction needed -- cutting 80% from current levels -- then the allowable leakage must be reduced accordingly (8 B to 1.6 B allowable)

• If 25% of remaining fossil carbon is sequestered, any leakage above 0.16% (about one-sixth of one percent) of the total per year could eventually result in runaway global warming;

• If 75% of remaining fossil carbon is sequestered, then leakage greater than 0.05% (one-twentieth of one percent) of the total per year could eventually produce runaway global warming.


What CSS Really Means

Can we bury several trillion tons of carbon dioxide in the ground with complete confidence that 0.05% of it will not leak out each year? Never leak out?

The leakage could begin at any time in the far distant future because the danger would lie buried forever, waiting to escape, a perpetual threat.


Good $ense?

FutureGen (Mattoon, IL)

• $1.8 B and counting• 275 MW

Twin Groves Wind Farm (Bloomington, IL)

• $600 M• 400 MW


Energy from Coal, Natural Gas & Nuclear


Coal Power Summit January 14, 2008

• Rember…every dollar spent to prop up Big Coal is a dollar that cannot be spent creating good jobs with a real future -- renewable energy and efficient use.

• Every dollar spent propping up Big Coal is a dollar that cannot be spent renewing the U.S. as a world-class industrial leader.


Thank You!

No More Coal!


Summary…

• Wind & Solar can meet all our energy needs– 50% reduction of GHG potential

• Mass transit improves quality of life and– 15% reduction in GHG potential

• Local organic food and farming – 15% reduction in GHG potential

• Green building / Conservation-Efficiency– Energy efficiency can be improved by 80-90%

coal power summit january 14, 2008 sponsored by: sierra club of il climate justice chicago

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