Abandoning coal isn’t the answer. There is a better path to cleaner air and saving the planet

A loader strikes coal on the Huntington energy plant in Huntington, Tuesday, March 24, 2015.

Ravell Name, Deseret Information

Utah is on the forefront of innovation in creating clear power era, and it’s taking place at a breakneck tempo. From our clear power utopia in central Utah to educating Utah’s future power workforce, our state is main the best way to a cleaner and extra renewable power future.

For all these developments, Utah continues to be largely reliant on coal. Greater than 70% of our electrical energy comes from coal-fired energy vegetation situated in rural Utah, and will probably be at comparable numbers for years to return. Whereas coal-generated energy fuels our fashionable life and helps make Utah a sexy place to dwell and do enterprise, it does include prices to our local weather, air high quality and setting.

Utterly abandoning the usage of fossil fuels shouldn't be an possibility if we need to keep our fashionable life, so it’s crucial we deal with the their pollution as quickly as attainable.

So is there a means to make use of fossil fuels with out emitting irresponsible quantities of CO2 into the air? The reply isn’t a sure or no — it’s carbon seize. Carbon seize works by doing precisely what it appears like — it captures the CO2 emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels, like coal, the place it may then be safely saved hundreds of toes underground or utilized in different capacities.

And the beauty of this expertise is it may be retrofitted to current services. Publish-combustion carbon seize has the power to seize over 90% of the CO2 emitted from energy vegetation and industrial services, which might in any other case go straight into the air.

As with all power era and applied sciences, carbon seize does have its challenges. The expertise isn’t new, however it's costly. In accordance with the Division of Power, in the present day’s carbon seize applied sciences are so energy-intensive they might lower the effectivity of a coal energy plant by as much as 30%, leading to an 80% value improve in electrical energy. Moreover, superior carbon seize applied sciences, which can assist cut back price, have by no means been demonstrated at scales massive sufficient for energy vegetation, so there are nonetheless some unknowns in regards to the feasibility of such initiatives.

However these challenges aren’t insurmountable and might be overcome by companies researching and investing in higher and extra reasonably priced methods to seize carbon. Identical to photo voltaic panels reaching ranges of affordability with enhancements in expertise and manufacturing, carbon seize is anticipated to be extra environment friendly and less expensive as applied sciences enhance. It’s additionally essential to keep in mind that we as a state aren't curious about completely adopting carbon seize to resolve our emissions-related issues. Different alternatives are additionally inside attain that we must always proceed creating together with wind, photo voltaic, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, nuclear and hydrogen.

Utah shouldn't be curious about simply one in all these applied sciences, we’re curious about all of them. We’re an all-of-the-above power state, and it takes a mix of those applied sciences to satisfy our future power wants.

We should have a balanced, numerous method to scrub power and that features the usage of fossil fuels, coupled with carbon seize. Carbon seize could possibly be the breath of contemporary air Utah is on the lookout for as we transition our portfolios to incorporate extra clear and renewable energies. That variety will deliver safety to our grid, and with Utah’s dedication to innovation unencumbered by authorities rules, we're well-positioned to construct a clear and dependable power future.

Thom Carter is power adviser to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and govt director of the Utah Workplace of Power.