| EPA report touts coal gasification
technology July 10 -- A new coal gasification technology can lower air emissions, lower water usage and produce less solid waste, according to a newly released Environmental Protection Agency report. Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle technology partially burns coal to generate gas. The EPA examined the environmental impacts of IGCC technology and concluded it could lead to a cleaner method to generate power from coal. The technical report also found that IGCC has the potential to provide a more cost-effective approach to capture carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, produced during coal combustion. More than 50 percent of electricity in the United States is generated by burning coal. Only two IGCC technology power plants are operating in the country, but several power companies have announced plants for additional facilities. The EPA report is available online at www.epa.gov/airmarkets/articles/control.html.
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