The announcement comes less than one week after US president George Bush signed the Energy Bill, benefiting many projects including this one. A provision in the bill, sponsored by Colorado US Senator Ken Salazar, will ensure funding for higher-altitude research of the technology.
"The western US has abundant coal reserves that are important to our nation's energy independence and security. We want to investigate the potential for using this valuable resource to generate electricity while reducing the environmental impact," said Xcel president Dick Kelly.
"Xcel's energy partnership with EPRI's power generation group will help us to evaluate technology options and assess critical issues associated with IGCC, given our region's unique characteristics."
Dubbed on of the cleanest technologies with low emissions, ICGG supporters say that the technology will remove carbon dioxide and store it at a lower rate than currently possible. The ICGG facility, however, can cost 15-20% more than a traditional coal-fired facility.
Xcel, which owns operations in 10 western and midwestern US states, and is considered one of the nation's major power and natural gas companies, said it will research the potential for a plant that will generate electricity constantly, with the exception of shutdowns for maintenance.
