Joyce Foundation  [Printer-friendly version]
August 17, 2006

PUSH TO GET CLIMATE-FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY FOR MIDWEST POWER PLANTS

The Joyce Foundation is awarding grants totaling over $3 million to
promote cleaner, climate-friendly ways of generating power from coal.
The grants are part of an overall $7 million initiative, announced
last year, to persuade developers of the next generation of Midwest
power plants to shun older coal-burning technology in favor of new,
cleaner technologies.

Major grants for promoting clean coal technologies among industry and
regulators go to:

Clean Air Task Force, $787,500; Great Plains Institute, $437,500; and
Natural Resources Defense Council, $437,500. The three groups will
work with coal and utility executives, regulators, environmental and
other groups to promote such technologies as coal gasification and
capture and storage of carbon emissions, addressing technical,
financial and regulatory barriers to progress.

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"We know the technology exists to use our region's abundant coal to
generate the power we need, without risking further damage to our
environment," said Joyce President Ellen S. Alberding. "These grants
will support those in industry, the public sector, and citizens groups
who have had the vision to push for the cleanest possible coal
technologies, and, we hope, help to prevent construction decisions
that would trap us with another generation of harmful emissions."

An estimated thirty-six coal plants are under various stages of
consideration for the Great Lakes region. Burning coal emits carbon,
which contributes significantly to global warming; in addition, coal-
burning plants have been major polluters of air and water in the
Midwest and nationally. Coal gasification technology offers the
possibility of reducing overall emissions as well as potentially
capturing and storing carbon. The Joyce Foundation announced last year
its intention to fund efforts to make sure that new Midwest power
plants opt for the cleaner technology. The current grants, voted by
the Foundation's board on July 20, 2006, were chosen as a result of a
request for proposals issued to selected groups earlier this year.

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