Western Governors laud efforts to expand IGCC technology development in the West (8/16/06)
Western Governors laud efforts to expand FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rich Halvey (303) 623-9378 DENVER -- Western Governors today applauded Xcel Energy on its plans to develop an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle facility in Colorado that will produce cleaner energy while capturing carbon dioxide and preventing it from entering the atmosphere. Xcel's announcement is an important step in meeting the clean and diversified energy goals of Western Governors, said South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds, Chairman of the Western Governors' Association. Xcel's efforts and those of Basin Electric, which recently launched a feasibility study for an IGCC project in South Dakota, are major developments on the clean energy front. Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal, WGA Vice Chairman, also praised the Xcel announcement. An IGCC plant, which converts coal to gas for fuel, has never been built at high altitude. The deployment of IGCC at higher altitude using Western coal is necessary to ensure the West can take advantage of our immense coal resources while protecting the environment, Freudenthal said. Deploying advanced, clean-coal technologies is an important complement to the energy efficiency and renewable energy investments needed to secure the West's energy future. On June 19, Governor Freudenthal joined forces with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to advance the deployment of IGCC technology in the West through provisions in the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005. Wyoming is the largest coal producing state in the nation and California is one of the largest energy consuming states. On July 17, the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority also began soliciting proposals to demonstrate the use of Wyoming coal in gasification facilities. IGCC power plants turn coal or other fossil fuels into a clean-burning gas, which is then used by a turbine to generate electricity. This low emission technology also facilitates the cost-effective capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide, rather than releasing it into the atmosphere. Earlier this year, BP and Edison Mission Group announced a first-of-its-kind IGCC project near Los Angeles that will gasify petroleum coke and use the carbon dioxide to enhance oil production in the area. Governor Freudenthal noted that the progress we are seeing in IGCC technologies will enable broader use of this technology throughout the region. The West needs to seek all opportunities to expand the deployment of this technology. In June, WGA approved a broad-based set of proposals for meeting future electricity needs by expanding the use of advanced coal technologies and renewable energy resources and by increasing energy efficiency. The governors' policy resolution was based on the recommendations developed by more than 250 stakeholders and published in the WGA report entitled, Clean Energy, A Strong Economy and a Healthy Environment. The goals, which the group found could be met or exceeded, are to develop an additional 30,000 megawatts of clean energy by 2015; increase energy efficiency by 20 percent by 2020; and ensure secure, reliable transmission for the next 25 years. The Western Governors' Association is an independent, nonprofit organization representing the governors of 19 states and three U.S.-Flag islands in the Pacific. Through their Association, the Western governors identify and address key policy and governance issues in natural resources, the environment, human services, economic development, international relations and public management. # # # # #
IGCC technology development in the West
August 16, 2006