Trump dumps ‘clean coal’ research he had praised during his campaign
PRESIDENT Donald Trump promised his administration would bring about “clean coal,” but his budget proposed slashing research the industry says it needs to make that a reality.
The Energy Department has spent more than US$ 200 million a year on research into ways to capture and store the carbon dioxide emitted when coal is burned to make electricity. Under Trump’s proposal released on Tuesday that would be cut to US$ 31 million, an 85 per cent reduction.
“It’s extremely disappointing,” said Brad Crabtree, vice president of fossil energy for the Great Plains Institute, a Minneapolisbased group that studies energy and advocates on behalf of carbon capture. “I think at some point the administration is going to have to decide whether they intend to keep their commitments to ensuring a future for coal.”
The White House budget sketches out widespread changes to energy research, environmental regulation and government ownership of energy assets, as the Trump administration seeks US$ 3.6 trillion in total spending cuts. As part of that change, the Energy Department would have its budget cut US$1.7 billion to US$ 28 billion, with a priority placed on revamping how it funds research and development.
The department would focus on basic research, and then free those technologies to private industry to develop them. That’s how Energy Secretary Rick Perry is approaching carbon- capture research, an Energy Department spokeswoman, said.
“Secretary Perry’s support for clean coal and carbon capture has not changed with this budget request,” she said in an email.
Coal is the top source of energy-related CO2 emissions, accounting for 68 per cent of the emissions associated with electricity generation, according to Energy Department data.