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U.S. Senator
Member: Finance, Agriculture, Energy, Ethics and Aging Committees |
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For Immediate
Release March 22, 2007 |
CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Comm.
Director |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) released a detailed 175-page non-partisan report entitled, “The Future of Coal,” in which it undertook a detailed analysis of global coal consumption and advanced coal technologies. The report makes several recommendations for U.S. policy on lowering carbon emissions, including exploring advanced carbon sequestration – the process of capturing emitted carbon dioxide emissions by storing them harmlessly in the ground in geologic formations. In a hearing today before the Senate Energy Committee, United States Senator Ken Salazar pushed forward his National Carbon Dioxide Storage Capacity Act of 2007 (S.731), noting that it meets the recommendations laid out in the MIT study. “Coal is one of America’s most abundant energy resources, producing nearly half of the electricity consumed by Americans each day,” said Senator Salazar. “This study has recommended finding new ways to work with coal to secure America’s energy demands while reducing carbon emissions. My bipartisan proposal does just that.” The MIT report, available by clicking here, includes a recommendation on page 60 that the US Geological Survey and the Department of Energy should “embark on [sic] a 3 year ‘bottom-up’ analysis of US geological storage capacity assessments.” It also makes several other recommendations for the government to implement a carbon sequestration program. Earlier this month, Senator Salazar introduced S.731, the National Carbon Dioxide Storage Capacity Assessment Act of 2007. The bipartisan bill, cosponsored by Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Senators Jim Webb (D-VA), Jon Tester (D-MT), Jim Bunning (R-KY), Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Robert Casey (D-PA) requires the U.S. Geological Service (USGS) to conduct a comprehensive inventory of the Nation’s ability to store carbon in appropriate geologic features and other natural basins, starting with a requirement for USGS to develop an official methodology for the assessment, which is independently reviewed and approved by a panel of scientific experts and the public. “To secure its energy independence, America must diversify its energy resources and move towards a clean energy future” Senator Salazar said. “Innovative advances, such as carbon sequestration, will protect American consumers from out-of-control energy cost increases and push the economy forward on the back of new advances.” # # #
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