Can carbon capture save coal?

Wyoming has outpaced other states by investing in technologies meant to soften the many blows coal has faced in recent years. Few in Wyoming misunderstand coal’s importance to communities like Gillette, local miners and state institutions like public education.

However, the recurring question is whether investment will pay off. Can states like Wyoming, the coal sector and entrepreneurs figure out how to clean up coal, make it more efficient and ultimately extend its life as a major provider for electricity? And more importantly, can they do it without help from the feds?

A report from the Western Organization of Resource Councils released says no.

The effort to capture carbon dioxide and either use it or store it is a pricey investment that won’t pay off soon enough to save King Coal, according to “Too Good to be True: The Risks of Public Investment in Carbon Capture and Sequestration.”

If coal was the only source for electricity, public investment in capturing carbon dioxide would be necessary, the report states. “Fortunately, coal-fired power with CCS is not the only low-carbon energy option available — it is just the most expensive.”

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