Via The Baltimore Sun:

A recent Sun editorial objected to the use of the term “clean coal” and argues for a future without coal (“About that clean coal business,” Oct. 11).

This argument makes a small point to ignore the larger truth that coal presently plays — and will continue to play — a dominant role in meeting energy needs around the world.

Whether you call coal-producing methods “clean” or not, the development of technologies that continue to make coal use more environmentally friendly benefits everyone.

Extraordinary progress has been made toward that end. Thanks to the use of a range of technologies — scrubbers, supercritical and ultra-supercritical combustion and coal gasification — the use of coal for electricity generation is cleaner than ever.

But work remains to tackle carbon emissions. Beyond what exists today, there are technologies under development that can capture carbon dioxide emissions from the use of fossil fuels. Given the right investment, development and policy support these technologies could be game-changers for the future.

Rather than debate terminology, a responsible path forward requires combined action from industry and government to further the use and development of advanced coal technologies that benefit the world.

See the article here.