Abby L. Harvey
GHG Monitor
5/15/2015
Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) this week introduced a package of bills aimed at supporting the development of clean coal technologies. The package consists of five measures, many of which pull from Heitkamp’s Advanced Clean Coal Technology Investment in Our Nation (ACCTION) Act, which the Senator reintroduced in February. The bills would serve to clear a path for coal’s continued use in a low-carbon economy by streamlining various rules regarding the treatment of coal projects. “Our proposals build off legislation I already introduced to find a realistic path forward for coal. Now, we’re joining forces to offer pragmatic solutions that will promote clean coal technologies that support good jobs while making our country more energy diverse, effective, and secure for years to come,” Heitkamp said in a release.
Heitkamp introduced two of the bills, which expand on provisions in the ACCTION bill. The first would make the Department of Energy solely responsible for coordinating clean coal power generation projects. The second would give the Secretary of Energy the authority to enter into pricing stabilization agreements. “This simple fix would create more incentives for public-private investment in carbon-reducing clean coal projects, and help remove barriers of uncertainty surrounding the development of these critical technologies,” according to the release. The ACCTION Act was also introduced last year but did not clear the committee. The reintroduced version of the bill has been referred to the Committee on Finance.
Manchin introduced three pieces of legislation that would amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to better support clean coal technologies. The bills would establish a program dedicated to clean coal technological innovation, list carbon capture utilization and storage as a specific objective for DOE and the Office of Fossil Energy and require the DOE to consider recommended changes to its loan guarantee program. The loan guarantee program consists of $8 billion authorized in 2008 to support fossil energy projects. To date, no loan guarantee has been issued under the program. Under the Manchin bill the Secretary of Energy is tasked with the development of a report for Congress on the effectiveness of the program. These measures will “ensure that we are investing in the necessary research development and advanced technologies to address the preservation of low cost electricity, clean coal production, cost effective energy practices and carbon emissions reduction,” Manchin said in a statement.
