ACCCE Statement Regarding Former Vice President Al Gore’s Speech on Climate Change

“In his speech today, former Vice President Al Gore associated himself with the mainstream by claiming there is scientific certainty that climate change is an issue that must be addressed in a timely fashion.

“However, even a cursory review of the policy applications he endorses shows he is not in the mainstream regarding what policy makers in the U.S. and around the world believe is necessary and achievable to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in response to climate change concerns.

“In his speech, former Vice President Gore suggested that the U.S. end its reliance on fossil fuels within the next 10 years.

“While we seriously question the feasibility of such a proposal and shudder to consider its costs to the American people, world leaders and key policymakers here in the U.S. do not share Mr. Gore’s notion that such a goal is necessary or achievable.

“Recognizing the ongoing role that coal will play in meeting world energy needs, the leaders of the G-8 nations, in their recent statement on the environment, strongly supported launching ‘20 large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration projects globally by 2010, taking into account various national circumstances, with a view to beginning broad deployment of CCS by 2020.’

“Here at home, statements by many key leaders in the former vice president’s own political party are strikingly at odds with Mr. Gore’s ‘no fossil fuel’ plan.

“In a letter to U.S. Senate leadership dated June 6, 2008, 10 Senate Democrats (Sens. Stabenow, Levin, Pryor, Bayh, Brown, Rockefeller, Lincoln, Webb, McCaskill, and Nelson) agreed that a technological revolution was necessary, but suggested policy makers avoid ‘picking winners and losers’ in order to achieve an available suite of technologies necessary to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The senators expressed their belief that such investments in technologies needed to focus on carbon capture and storage and other low-carbon technologies.

“The failure of some policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions – specifically the Kyoto Protocol – show that, without the availability of technologies to capture and store greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-based energy systems, we will not progress globally toward our shared goal of slowing, stopping and ultimately reducing manmade greenhouse gas emission.

“In the end, we do agree with Mr. Gore on one key point: meeting the climate challenge is going to require the commitment of government, business and individual citizens. However, we believe we can and will meet the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale and still enjoy the benefits of affordable, reliable energy from domestic energy resources—especially our most abundant domestic fuel, coal.”

About ACCCE

The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) is a non-profit, non-partisan partnership of companies involved in producing electricity from coal. Because coal is America’s most abundant energy resource, ACCCE supports energy policies that balance coal’s vital role in meeting our country’s growing need for affordable and reliable electricity with the need to protect the environment. ACCCE also advocates for the development and deployment of advanced clean coal technologies that will produce electricity with near-zero emissions. Headquartered in Alexandria, VA, ACCCE has more than 40 members that represent more than $190 billion in annual revenues and employ more than 360,000 Americans. For more information, visit www.cleancoalusa.org or www.americaspower.org.

# # #