US President Barack Obama has called for the development of up to ten commercial carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration projects by 2016 and to meet this target and government plans to speed the development and deployment of clean coal technologies in the USA the government has appointed a new Interagency Task Force on CCS.
Obama has also announced a number of steps to boost the production of biofuels.
The role of the CCS Task Force will be to co-ordinate existing clean coal and CCS initiatives being carried out by various federal agencies such as the Department of Energy (DOE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Interior. Its immediate aim will be to develop a plan to overcome the barriers to the deployment of widespread affordable CCS within ten years, with a goal of bringing five to ten commercial demonstration projects on line by 2016.
“For decades, the coal industry has supported quality high-paying jobs for American workers, and coal has provided an important domestic source of reliable, affordable energy. At the same time, coal-fired power plants are the largest contributor to US greenhouse gas emissions,” said Obama in a memorandum. “Charting a path toward clean coal is essential to achieving my Administration’s goals of providing clean energy, supporting American jobs, and reducing emissions of carbon pollution.”
The Task Force will consider how best to coordinate existing administrative authorities and programmes, including those that build international collaboration on CCS. A coordinated federal strategy on clean coal, together with climate legislation that puts a cap on carbon emissions, will help to spur investment in CCS technology, says Obama.
Energy and climate legislation is currently being debated in the US Congress. If passed, the legislation should establish a comprehensive cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.
Obama’s strategy on biofuels includes a new Renewable Fuel Standard that requires biofuel production to increase to 36 billion gallons by 2022 and a proposed biomass crop assistance programme.
The measures are designed to reduce the USA’s dependence on foreign oil imports.
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