June 13, 2016
Source: Casper Star-Tribune
Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz pledged support Monday for clean coal research, saying fossil fuels would continue to play a role in the country’s energy mix.
Those comments, delivered at the annual gathering of the Western Governors’ Association at Snow King Resort Hotel, comes against the backdrop of declining U.S. coal production. American coal output hit its lowest quarterly total since 1981 in the first quarter of this year, according to a government report released last week.
Few predicted the pace of coal’s decline, Moniz said, noting the role low natural gas prices have played in the transformation of the country’s energy sector. The Energy Secretary said the recently signed Paris climate agreement, which seeks to reverse a rise in global temperatures, illustrates the administration’s attempts to curb carbon dioxide emissions.
Those efforts present the U.S. with a series of challenges and opportunities, Moniz said. The administration nevertheless remains committed to carbon capture and sequestration, he said.
“Fossil fuel use, nuclear, along with renewables and efficiency, will all remain prominent in our portfolio,” Moniz told the 10 assembled governors.
Read the full article here: http://trib.com/business/energy/u-s-energy-sec-ernest-moniz-fossil-fuels-will-remain/article_4cb1f63b-b2e9-5bb3-a381-bdafe32d0f06.html
