Frank Alix, CEO of Powerspan Corp., called for government incentives to support carbon capture and storage research in testimony presented at a Congressional Hearing on the future of coal under climate change legislation.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative has selected Powerspan’s post-combustion carbon capture process for a pilot project to be conducted at its Antelope Valley Station power plant.

Alix presented members of the House Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment with some initial findings:

Since being selected for the Antelope Valley project, a feasibility study has confirmed that there are no technical limitations to deploying ECO₂^® at the plant. The study estimated ECO₂ costs of less than $40 per ton for 90% CO₂ capture and compression (in current dollars, with +/- 30% accuracy). A similar study of ECO₂ recently conducted for a new 760-MW supercritical pulverized coal plant estimates CO₂ capture costs of under $30 per ton, including compression. A third engineering study focused on ECO₂ scaling risk determined that the ECO₂ pilot plant will provide sufficient design information to confidently build commercial scale systems up to 760-MW, supporting that ECO₂ technology scaling risk is manageable. Independent engineering firms led the feasibility, cost, and scaling studies for our prospective customers.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative is one of several cooperatives involved in research on reducing carbon emissions from traditional power generation sources, including coal.

In a recent letter, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Glenn English sent a letter to President Obama strongly opposing the Administration’s plan to auction carbon emission allowances under a cap and trade scheme. “Cooperatives have pledged to work with the Administration and Congress to find a least-cost, consumer-friendly approach to meeting national climate change goals. The auction scheme, however, disadvantages regions historically dependent on coal and unnecessarily burdens consumers,” wrote English.

The hearing addressed the future of coal under an economy-wide cap on greenhouse gas emissions, including the technologies and policies that may help reduce coal’s carbon footprint.