IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Learn more: What the heck is clean coal?

You've heard the term 'clean coal' tossed around, but do you know what it is?

On Wednesday, October 8th, All In America: Coal Country travels to Kentucky and Mississippi to find out what the deal is with clean coal. President Obama has been a proponent of clean coal and developing clean coal technology since the beginning of his Presidency. In 2012 the White House handed out clean coal research awards for universities across the country. Former U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said of the initiative: "Advancing the development of clean coal technologies is an important part of President Obama’s strategy to develop every source of American energy and ensure the United States leads the world in the global clean energy race and continues to take advantage of domestic resources here at home.” 

Below are some articles to get you started on what clean coal is:

"World's First Full-Scale 'Clean' Coal Plant Opens in Canada," National Geographic

  • "Not everyone is excited about its arrival: The director of Sierra Club Canada called the project “a waste of vital capital that should be invested in conservation, efficiency and renewable [energy].” But backers are hopeful Boundary Dam marks a turning point for CCS, which is widely thought to be essential to limiting carbon dioxide emissions but has been slow to arrive due to cost challenges and wavering policy support."

Intended showcase of clean-coal future hits snags

  • "The beauty of it all was this: Sixty-five percent of the plant’s carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas released by all coal-fired power plants, would be captured, carried through a 62-mile-long pipeline and injected into old oil reservoirs to boost output of precious crude."

"Clean Coal Test: Power Plants Prepare to Capture Carbon," National Geographic

  • "In Kemper County, Mississippi, the same company is pioneering a technology that many experts believe will be crucial to preventing a climate disaster: It's building the world's first new power plant designed to capture and store most of its carbon."