May 5, 2025 - New 21^st Century Coal technologies are increasingly available to support power generation and steel production. A leading example of these innovative techniques has been developed by research engineers at Washington University in St. Louis and will be briefly described here. With President Trump and his team in place, Federal coal energy policy is now active with many positive ideas to support coal for electricity and steel - two industries which provide the building blocks of modern society. These coal supportive policies are sorely needed not only for the United States but also in a rapidly urbanizing world that will have 10 billion people in just 25 years. Unfortunately, one cannot change the past, and, since 2009, half of the coal plants in the US have been retired, many prematurely. The Trump plan to suspend further coal plant retirements is essential to stabilize the grid. Further, the capacity of operating plants should be expanded and new builds considered. One very promising approach to renew existing plants is the SPOC technology developed at WashU. The University’s Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization is a leading center for research in advanced coal and carbon capture technologies. The goal of the Consortium is to foster the utilization of coal as a safe and affordable source of energy, and as a chemical feedstock, with minimal impact on the environment. The Consortium is on the cutting edge in the development of a new 21st Century Coal approach to utilizing the greatest energy asset of the United States -coal.

The need for expanded coal -based electricity is becoming more and more apparent with the dramatic rise in the demand for power. With the emergence of AI data centers, electric vehicles, heat pumps, electrolyzers, air conditioners, cryptocurrency, and an overall societal push for electrification, EIA projects generation to increase from about 4,200 GWh in 2025 to over 5,600 GWh in 2044. This rise of 1,400 GWh in the next 20 years is more than six times the growth in power generation from 2004 to 2023. It is clear the American people have an absolute need for 21st Century Coal to provide reliable, clean electricity as well as domestically produced steel, all at reasonable rates.

There are concerns among Members of Congress that electric rates will increase as AI and other demand drivers take hold. In our space we believe that promising and affordable new coal technologies are available and one such path is outlined below. New 21st Century Coal is ready now instead of waiting for years on expensive nuclear power, enduring the dramatic price volatility of natural gas or being dependent on the vagaries of wind and solar power. WashU researchers have presented a technology with no such risks. Electric rates will go down, not up, and there is ample coal for all concerned everywhere, all the time.

The WashU technology is Fuel-Staged, Pressurized Oxy-Combustion (SPOC) and has enormous benefits, some of which are listed here:

    -   Ultrahigh plant efficiency

    -   Low capital costs

    -   Compact modular boiler design to reduce costs and construction time

      - Removal of SOx, NOx and mercury in a single step via a direct contact cooler/scrubber, eliminating other flue gas treatment

      - Highly flexible plant operation to address the load variations that wind and solar have produced

      - New build or retrofit

      This SPOC technology is ready for deployment. Further information can be obtained from the UWash Consortium ( https://cccu-wustl.com/about-cccu/).  

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Note: Coal is the Cornerstone seeks to give a voice to supporters of coal in its many dimensions and contributions. But we need help and ask like-minded individuals and companies supporting coal to make a financial contribution to the effort. Please contact Fred Palmer (vapalmers@aol.com) for details as to how you can support the fight for coal.

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Fred Palmer served as CEO of Western Fuels before he joined Peabody Energy as Senior Vice President for Government Affairs. Palmer was Chair of the World Coal Association Board and a member of the National Coal Council. He received the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers Award for “Distinguished Achievement in Coal Technology”.  He also received a Statement of Appreciation from the National Coal Council in 2015 with a plaque for “Guidance since 1990”.  

Frank Clemente PhD Is Professor Emeritus at Penn State University. He specializes in research on the socioeconomic impact of energy policy and is the author of The Global Value of Coal, published by the International Energy Agency (2012). Professor Clemente has extensive experience in speaking, writing and presenting data on the value of coal to the United States and the world. All opinions expressed here are presented independently from the University.