Full Title: The Future of Coal: Options for a Carbon-Constrained World
Author(s): J. Katzer
Publisher(s): Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MITei)
Publication Date: January 1, 2007
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Description (excerpt):
This MIT study examines the role of coal as an energy source in a world where constraints on carbon emissions are adopted to mitigate global warming. Our first premise is that the risks of global warming are real and that the United States and other governments should and will take action to restrict the emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Our second and equally important premise is that coal will continue to play a large and indispensable role in a greenhouse gas constrained world. Indeed, the challenge for governments and industry is to find a path that mitigates carbon emissions yet continues to utilize coal to meet urgent energy needs, especially in developing economies. The scale of the enterprise is vast.
Our purpose is to identify the measures that should be taken to assure the availability of demonstrated technologies that would facilitate the achievement of carbon emission
reduction goals.
We conclude that CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS) is the critical enabling technology that would reduce CO2 emissions significantly while also allowing coal to meet the world’s pressing energy needs.