ACCCE Lauds New US/China Agreements on Clean Coal Technology

Alexandria, VA – In conjunction with China President Hu Jintao’s visit to the United States this week, the United States and China have announced multiple new agreements that ensure the two nations will work closely together on the development of clean coal technology.

“Greater cooperation with China on the development of clean coal technology can mean greater job opportunities here in the United States and even greater progress in protecting our environment,” said Steve Miller, president and CEO of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity.  “China is the world’s largest energy user and the United States has the world’s largest coal reserves.  By being able to utilize coal in an increasingly clean fashion, we can spur the creation of well-paying American jobs.”

Among the newly announced clean coal technology projects this week:

American Electric Power (AEP) signed cooperation agreements to advance transmission, distribution and cleaner power generation technologies, including carbon capture and storage.

GE announced a new partnership on a clean coal technology project in China that will support hundreds of jobs in Texas, South Carolina and New York.

Peabody Energy signed agreements to help develop two power plants in China with the newest clean coal technologies.

The United States and Chinese governments agreed to expand their cooperation on the Clean Energy Research Center (CERC), which includes

“Investments in clean coal technology reap benefits for U.S. consumers and taxpayers, and will help ensure American families and businesses have an affordable, reliable supply of electricity, while we meet our commitment to a cleaner environment,” said Miller.

A 2009 study sponsored by four labor organizations and ACCCE found that the development of CCS technology – just one of many clean coal technologies – could provide almost seven million job-years (one person in a job for a year) of employment and $368 billion in labor income for the United States.

Additionally, a Management Information Services study sponsored by ACCCE found that American taxpayers will see a return of $13 for every dollar the government invests in clean coal technology.