Shining A Light On The Powerof Coal (NAPSA)—Concern over higher oil prices has helped to fuel a new campaign to raise the public’s awareness of the benefits of coalbased electricity. The campaign is designed to remind consumers that in many cases, 50 percent of their electricity comes from coal. It also strives to ensure the development of energy and environmentalpolicies that will allow the American public to enjoy the benefits of affordable, secure and reliable electricity. Reinforcing the goal of ensuring ultralow/near-zero emissions, including the capture and storage of greenhouse gases, is another purpose of the campaign. “Quite simply, the facts in the America’s Power campaign are vital to our country’s energy and environmental future. Americans are concerned about higher energy prices and they’re asking whether we havea real alternativeto relying more and more on energy resources imported from other countries,” said Steve Miller, pres- ident of Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC), the campaign’s sponsor. The effort comes at a time when energy issues are at the forefront of presidential, national andstate policy discussions. The recent ABEC report,“The Rising Burden of Energy Costs on American Families, 1997-2007,” contends that the country’s poorest families will spend nearly 46 percent of their income on energy CLEAN COAL. gy AMERICA’S POWER. WWW.AMERICASPOWER.ORG Many consumers are surprised to learn that more than half of our country’s electricity is generated by coal. and transportation costs. These concerns are prompting policy makersacross the nation to take a new look at coal’s role in meeting America’s growing demand for affordable and reliable energy. “Most Americans are surprised to learn that more thanhalf of our country’s electricity is generated by coal. And while there are those groups that try to demonize the use of coal, the facts stand for themselves; the industry’s commitment to clean-coal technologies already makes America’s coalbased plants 70 percent cleaner. “As Americans turn on a light or watch TV, the odds are good that coal is the resource that makes it possible. The question should not be if we use coal. The bigger question is, without coal, where will our country’s increasing hunger for electricity come from? We need to ensure access to low-cost electricity while preserving the environment,” Miller said. He believes American coal is the best way to accomplish both tasks. For more information, go to Americaspower.org.
