Coons co-sponsors bill to push research aimed at cutting  pollution from  gas-fired power plants

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NRG natural gas-fired power plant in Dover.
NRG natural gas-fired power plant in Dover.

U.S. Sens.  Chris Coons (D-Del.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) introduced the  Launching Energy Advancement and Development through Innovations for Natural Gas (LEADING) Act.

The bipartisan legislation would offer incentives on research and development of carbon capture technology for natural gas.

“I am proud to work with Senators Cornyn, Cassidy, and Sinema on legislation to tackle climate change,” said Coons. “In order to address this global threat, we need to invest in innovative energy technologies that can drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The LEADING Act is critical to near-term reductions of emissions from our electricity and industrial sectors, and will help power innovation and create jobs.”

 By increasing the use of natural gas and other resources, the United States is leading the world in emissions reduction, a release from Coons’ office noted. The reduction comes as older coal-fired power plants are retired. 

Carbon capture projects for coal-fired power plants have been expensive and unsuccessful.

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Natural gas emits 50 to 60 percent less carbon dioxide when used in a natural gas power plant compared with other sources.  Natural gas supports the deployment of renewable energy, and natural gas power plants can quickly and safely ramp up and down to combat the volatility of renewables, the release stated.

Developing cost-effective carbon capture technology for natural gas power plants will help the United States continue to lower emissions while creating jobs and supporting domestic energy production and security, the release concluded.

The Launching Energy Advancement and Development through Innovations for Natural Gas Act would require the Secretary of Energy to establish a program for the research, development, and demonstration of commercially viable technologies for the capture of carbon dioxide produced during the generation of natural gas-generated power.

Progressive politicians have been pushing for a Green New Deal that calls  for the end of the use of natural gas for electric power.

There have also been concerns in natural gas producing areas over hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.”

Fracking-related concerns include water supplies, pipeline issues and leakage into the atmosphere.

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