The 'Clean Coal' Debate Continues

The Daily Egyptian has been following a debate on 'clean coal' that was spurred by a reader's letter to the editor on November 8 entitled "SIUC should come clean about dirty secrets." In today's DE there was a response by Dr. Koropchak, vice chancellor for research and graduate dean, and John Mead, director of the Coal Extraction and Utilization Research Center, entitled "Coal research a positive community contributor."

Whether you consider the term 'clean coal' an oxy-moron, do we really have the luxury of ending coal research today because burning coal for energy is dirty? "Clean coal" is not like "healthy cigarettes," because coal provides something we need to survive at the moment; even if organic vegetables and meat should be on everyone's plate, that's not the reality we end up with, because of supply, prices, lack of education, etc. Let's be realistic: what's the alternative today? Switch to renewables? How? What is the mix of renewables that would work in this region, and how much would it cost? How much emissions would it create, what would be the reduction from switching from coal? What is the time span we're looking at to replace the current means of power generation? These are actually things that can be calculated and optimized. Just take Mechanical Engineering 446 and you'll learn all about it. My theory would be it would be a good amount of time and money to reach this goal, which doesn't mean it shouldn't be pursued post-haste.

Possibly more of a burning question is the source of feedstock for liquid fuels. Ethanol's future is not yet known. UC Davis reported on Nov. 8 that one of their studies shows that "Oil will run dry before substitutes roll out." Coal can serve as a feedstock for liquid fuels. Should we ignore it because it's so dirty? How long until electric vehicles can replace liquid-fueled vehicles? Is this even an option for all transportation energy needs?

Do we need coal research to transition to the clean future? Is the human race in a position today where it can simply step off coal research? Can we simply take all the stuff that's bad for us off the shelf or will we starve? If so, what is the solution, what are the steps? Please share your opinions.

News Announcement: USPTO extends Green Technology Pilot Program

http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/green_tech.jsp

Green Technology Pilot Program
Under the Green Technology Pilot Program, an applicant may have an application advanced out of turn (accorded special status) for examination, for applications pertaining to green technologies including greenhouse gas reduction (applications pertaining to environmental quality, energy conservation, development of renewable energy resources or greenhouse gas emission reduction). Currently, an application pertaining to environmental quality, or energy conservation, development of renewable energy resources or greenhouse gas reduction will not be advanced out of turn for examination unless it meets the requirements of the accelerated examination program. Under the Green Technology Pilot Program, applications pertaining to environmental quality, energy conservation, development of renewable energy, or greenhouse gas emission reduction, will be advanced out of turn for examination without meeting all of the current requirements of the accelerated examination program (e.g., examination support document). The USPTO will accept only the first 3,000 petitions (click here for the number of petitions granted thus far) to make special in new applications, provided that the petitions meet the requirements set forth in the notice published on December 8, 2009, in the Federal Register, as modified by the Federal Register notices published on May 21, 2010, and November 10, 2010 (links to the Federal Register notices are provided below).

The USPTO has expanded the eligibility for the pilot program to include applications filed on or after December 8, 2009, in addition to applications filed before December 8, 2009. The program has also been extended until December 31, 2011.

Connecting with the Future of Energy Forum next Tuesday

For Immediate Release:
Program to FocusOn Biomass Feedstock

Can an agricultural plant grown here in southern Illinois be used to help power electricity-generating power plants? Can the same plant replace corn as the choice feed-stock source to produce ethanol to help fuel our cars and trucks? What can this mean to southern Illinois and to our nation’s energy future?

These questions and more will be addressed at a symposium entitled ENERGY FROM THE HEARTLAND: THE ROLE OF ILLINOIS IN BIOMASS FEEDSTOCK RESEARCH AND PRODUCTION.

The symposium, which is part of the “Connecting with the Future of Energy” series of programs, will feature three speakers with different perspectives on various issues related to the introduction of biomass products into the energy feedstock supply stream, with an emphasis on the promise of Miscanthus Giganteus.

The symposium will take place on Tuesday, November 9 beginning at 6:00PM. It will be held at the John A Logan College Conference Center. Registration and refreshments will begin at 5:30. Admission to the event is free, but advance registration is strongly encouraged.

The featured speaker will be Dr. Tom Voight, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His presentation will focus on the growing use of agricultural biomass as a growing source of energy-producing feedstock. He will provide an in-depth look at current research and production. He is particularly focused on applied, field-based research in biofuel plant propagation and production, turf species and cultivar evaluations, turf management, and native and exotic landscape grass management. Dr. Voight will address the promise of the perennial grass Miscanthus in energy production, including its role as a supplement to coal as a feedstock in coal-fired power plants.

Two panel speakers will provide added depth to the discussion. Mr. Leonard Hopkins of the Southern Illinois Power Cooperative will provide a utility company’s perspective on integrating biofeedstocks into the fuel supply. Chris Evans, a coordinator for the River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area, will examine biofuel sources as potential invasive species.

The symposium is on open to the public. This program will be of particular interest to those who work or study in fields related to agriculture, plant and soil sciences, energy management, resource conservation, and alternative energy sources. Seating is limited to the first 150 reservations. To reserve a seat please contact Ms. Tammy Kirk at tammykirk@ mantracon.org or 618.998.0970, extension 215. There will be opportunity to ask questions of the speakers.

Organized by Connect SI, the symposium is sponsored by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Shawnee Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc., and the SIUC Coal Research Center.