Murtha promotes bill for clean coal, environment
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown, chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, announced that he has introduced bipartisan legislation, which will significantly advance development of carbon capture and sequestration technology that promotes clean coal and a safer environment. According to information from Murtha, the United States currently relies on coal for more than one-half of its electric production, and the demand for electricity is expected to grow by 40 percent over the next two decades.
Current legislative proposals would require that utilities reduce their carbon emissions 15 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2020.
In order to reach this, coal-fired power plants must have the ability to capture and store carbon emissions, according to Murtha.
Working with the United Mine Workers of America, Murtha said he and several House Democrats and Republicans have introduced the solution – the “Carbon Capture and Storage Early Deployment Act.”
“Coal is a valuable resource,” commented Murtha. “With this technology and legislation, we can enhance existing coal power plants by providing the resources they need to meet federal requirements and reduce greenhouse gases.”
The bill will accelerate five or six commercial demonstration projects of carbon capture and storage at advanced new coal plants, as well as retrofit existing plants with this technology.
Approximately $1 billion will be raised and invested through a small fee of one-half mill (one-twentieth of a cent) per kilowatt hour.
“This bill will further strengthen America’s coal industry, promote new “green” jobs and protect our environment,” said Murtha. “It’s the responsible thing to do.”
In January 2008, the U.S. EPA’s Advanced Coal Technology Work Group unanimously recommended that Congress create a Carbon Capture and Sequestration Early Development Fund, and this legislation closely follows these recommendations, according to Murtha’s information.