Tenaska Coal Plant to Usher in New Era of Carbon Capture and Storage, Water Conservation

You’ve heard us say before that we are not champions of coal, but we are realists.

Realists can also be idealists. We still want the same things – cleaner air and water, and clean, sustainable energy – and yet we know that the transition away from fossil fuels as a major energy source will take some time and require interim collaborative solutions.

We seek solutions that will work until the day comes that all energy is clean and non-polluting. So it is, that today we agreed not to oppose the Tenaska power plant in Sweetwater, Texas. 

Why? Through a legally binding settlement, Tenaska has agreed to capture and sequester at least 85 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by the plant. EDF supports the widespread deployment of technologies like carbon capture and sequestration to dramatically reduce CO2 emissions.

Another plus? Tenaska also committed to a limit on the water obtained from sources other than that produced during operation of the plant, not to exceed 2,000 acre-feet of water per year, which is enough to support the most water-efficient cooling design for the plant. Tenaska will use a process called “dry cooling,” which you can learn more about from our Energy-Water Nexus in Texas report.

These actions signify the end of an era in Texas, and Tenaska is to be commended for taking the first steps. The urgency of climate change dictates the need for such transformational change – and for idealistic yet realistic, solutions.

For more information, read the EDF release.

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9 Comments

  1. Posted May 9, 2010 at 11:12 pm | Permalink
  2. Posted May 23, 2010 at 3:50 am | Permalink

    I’m impressed, you know what you’re talking about

  3. Posted May 24, 2010 at 10:08 am | Permalink

    How will watch heat remove damp? Doesn’t raising air temperature INCREASE its cleverness to hold moisture (relative damp)? The air may ‘feel’ dryer when it’s warmer. But doesn’t that defeat the function of cooling it in the first place? I didn’t see any relay installed that would turn on the strip heat if the thermostat sensed higher-than-desirable damp.

  4. Posted June 4, 2010 at 4:34 am | Permalink

    you look like a million dollars.you lood outstanding.

  5. Gary oliver
    Posted June 5, 2010 at 2:16 pm | Permalink

    I am greatly disappointed in your support of Tenaska’s coal-fired plant near Sweetwater. Unless 100% of CCO2 is captured, there will not be a “dramatic reduction” in CO2 emissions. I wonder how well dry cooling will work in 100+ degree days You must not know how dry it is in West Texas. I have not even addressed other pollutants, like mercury, etc. Please reconsider your “realistic” position on this plant, which Tenaska touted at the hearing in Austin this week, and support people and the environment

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  7. Posted June 9, 2010 at 5:24 pm | Permalink

    Thanks friend. Good article. Thank you.

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