U.S. Secretary of Energy Says Coal-Fired Power Plants Important in Country's Future

Perry says a stable baseload of electricity is important and this technology provides “the ability to deliver a secure, economical and environmentally good source of energy.”

He says coal belongs in a diverse U.S. energy portfolio that includes renewable solar and wind power.

The Longview Power 700-megawatt plant in northern West Virginia first produced electricity in 2011. It reports higher efficiency burning coal and lower emissions than other U.S. coal-fired plants, with about 70 percent less nitrogen oxide, 78 percent less sulfur dioxide and at least 90 percent fewer particulates.

It reports carbon dioxide emissions 20 percent lower because it burns 20 percent less coal.