Political fight over ‘clean coal’ stems from competing carbon-capture methods

    Remember clean coal?

    Before natural gas from U.S. shale formations created a glut of cheaper, cleaner-burning fuel, the idea of “clean coal” was all the rage. It made a comeback during last week’s presidential debate when Mitt Romney said he liked coal.

     

    Fans of carbon capture, like former Gov. Ed Rendell and President Obama, favor trapping carbon before it goes into the atmosphere and sequestering it deep underground. Mitt Romney and the coal industry define “clean coal” differently. They favor scrubbing coal emissions to remove air pollutants, but not carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    Read the full story from Susan Phillips on StateImpact Pennsylvania.

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal