Does Coal Have a Place in the Green Energy Economy?

1. Does Coal Have a Place in the Green Energy Economy? Elizabeth Ouzts Environment North Carolina

2. Environment North Carolina • Statewide, citizen-based advocacy group • National federation: Environment America • Reports: Making Sense of the Coal Rush; When it Rains, It Pours; and Feeling the Heat

3. Our reliance on coal causes.. • Mountaintop destruction

4. Our reliance on coal causes… Air and water pollution

5. Our reliance on coal causes… • Global Warming

6. Avoiding Dangerous Global Warming • Cutting emissions by 35% by 2020 and 80% by mid-century

7. What about clean coal? • Not exactly clean • Cost • Timing • Scale • Transparency

8. “Coal Rush” is slowing down • 86 of 150 plants canceled • Bush Administration cancels research project

9. What are the alternatives to coal?

10. Consumers and job creation • More local spending, more jobs from other sources • Pollution auctions to assist low-income consumers

11. Does coal have a place in the green energy economy? • Need research on Carbon Capture & Storage • Co-fire existing plants with biomass • No reason to build new coal plants, unless: • Other ways of meeting energy demand are less cost-effective • Plants are capable of CCS

12. Green Energy Economy • Study: Renewable energy and energy efficiency will create twice as many jobs, cost half as much