Climate:

MIT coal report co-chair Moniz says more urgency, funding needed for coal technology

Can coal, the nation's most abundant generator of electricity, continue to play an active role in the United States' energy policy if caps on emissions are mandated? A new Massachusetts Institute of Technology report, "The Future of Coal: Options for a Carbon Constrained World," seeks to answer this question and provide guidance for policymakers. During today's OnPoint, Ernest Moniz, professor of physics and engineering systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, former undersecretary at the Department of Energy and co-chair of the MIT report, discusses various technological options for clean coal and urges the United States to focus on more than one clean coal technology. Moniz discusses how Congress should approach this issue, how much more funding should be appropriated, and he comments on the Bush administration's FutureGen project.