Coal out in force at green convention

DENVER — They may be “green” conventions but the coal industry isn’t burying its head in the sand.

The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), a group of mining companies and electric utilities, plans to spend $1.7 million on advertising and lobbying at the Democratic convention in Denver and the Republican one next week in St. Paul, Minn. 

The mission: to promote massive federal subsidies to reduce coal’s carbon footprint.

{mosads}“The audiences [at the conventions] are probably the highest concentration of opinion leaders that we could reach in one geographically defined area,” said Joe Lucas, a spokesman for ACCCE.

“From the moment folks walk off the plane in Denver or Minneapolis, we start a conversation about what does clean coal mean.”

Coal burning is responsible for around 20 percent of the greenhouse gases released globally each year into the atmosphere, so coal promoters might feel out of place at conventions where planners are using energy-efficient lighting and biodegradable utensils to reduce their carbon footprints.

What’s more, both presidential candidates have embraced a global warming plan that would cut carbon emissions. That could curb coal use unless the industry can find a way to burn coal more cleanly.

Right now, coal accounts for 50 percent of the electricity produced in the United States. So taking it out of the fuel mix would likely sting, and most energy experts think it is not a serious option given the economic ramifications. 

Coal is found in several key electoral states, which translates into political power on Capitol Hill.

But the industry believes that, with the right technology, consumers don’t have to choose between the environment and affordable energy anymore.

The problem is that it is prohibitively expensive to keep carbon dioxide from releasing into the atmosphere. It’s not even a sure bet that it is technically feasible.

Sequestering carbon dioxide underground is one potential solution, but the industry says it needs the government’s support to build the technology to be able to do that on a scale needed to make a difference.

Lucas’s group wants the government to spend around $17 billion on clean coal. Coal groups have also lobbied against imposing a carbon cap until clean coal technology is available to users. 

With gasoline rising to over $4 a gallon this summer, ACCCE is also promoting a controversial plan to turn coal into a transportation fuel. That needs another government subsidy and draws the ire of environmental groups. The coal-to-liquid carbon emissions are actually much higher than those produced by traditional petroleum extraction and refining.

ACCCE’s advocacy efforts this week and next include traditional advertising on billboards and in print. But the group also plans to have a big “experiential media” footprint.

There are coal “brand ambassadors” on the streets and working events that Lucas equated to the booths consumers often see promoting credit cards.

ACCCE is also distributing what Lucas called a “very collectable button.”

And a bus available to delegates in Denver is wrapped in a clean coal advertisement. Riders get more than transport to the convention hall. They will also get a lecture on clean coal as a price of the free ride.

Lastly, Lucas said, the group will have 30 or so people working Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) acceptance speech on Thursday at Invesco Field, handing out fans that say, “I’m a fan of clean coal.”

“This is a very unique opportunity to engage,” Lucas said.