Prairie Public Broadcasting

Clean Coal Projects CHARLESTON, W.VA (WOUB) - Multibillion-dollar clean coal projects in West Virginia, Texas and Alabama are getting $979 million in federal stimulus funding.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu said today the money will go toward carbon capture and sequestration at coal-fired power plants owned by American Electric Power, Southern Co. and Summit Texas Clean Energy.

Chu called coal very important to the U.S. and said the administration has no plans to turn its back on coal.

American Electric Power already is capturing and storing carbon dioxide at its Mountaineer power plant in Mason County.

The $334 million federal stimulus funding is aimed at allowing the plant to capture and store 90 percent of carbon emissions from the plant.

Southern Co. is getting $295 million for carbon capture at an Alabama power plant north of Mobile and Summit Texas is getting $350 million for work on a 400-megawatt plant planned for Midland-Odessa.

The DOE says carbon dioxide from that plant will be piped underground to increase oil recovery in the Permian Basin.

The projects are expected to use an additional $2.2 billion in private capital.
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