Dominion is testing new technology at its Brayton Point Power Station in Massachusetts that will convert coal into streams of clean natural gas and carbon dioxide, while eliminating mercury, sulfur and other pollutants. If the technology proves to be commercially viable, and if someone can invent a way to sequester the carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, it would transform the economics of coal-generated electricity. (Read the press release.)
“The potential of this project to solve two major problems − making America more energy independent and reducing emissions of carbon dioxide – cannot be ignored,” said Mark F. McGettrick, CEO of Dominion Generation. “This technology has the potential to help provide a ‘missing link’ in terms of solving air emissions issues at coal-fired power plants. … There are proven and commercially available technologies that will sharply reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury and particulates. But thus far there has not been any commercially proven way to separate carbon dioxide as a first step toward capturing and sequestering those emissions. This technology could make it possible.”
Dominion should be lauded for pursuing this clean-coal alternative. We will all benefit if the power company finds a way to make coal an environmentally acceptable fuel that emits no greenhouse gases. But let us not be distracted from a larger point: This technology supports the Big Grid electric power model based on monster power plants and gargantuan transmission lines. Virginia needs to move towards a distributed grid system that integrates small-scale power sources at the community, neighborhood and residential level.
Question for economic developers: Dominion is investing $25 million in the demonstration plant and related R&D Center of Excellence. Why Massachusetts and not Virginia? Did anyone in Virginia know this was coming down the pike?
