By Erica Peterson/KPR
Frankfort, KY – In recent years, China has surpassed the United States in how much coal it burns for electricity. But China is also investing a lot of money in technology to burn the coal more cleanly. That's the conclusions from a Kentucky trade delegation that just returned from a 10-day trip to Shanghai, Beijing and Inner Mongolia.
Chad Harpole with the Kentucky Chamber was part of the delegation. He says if the United States wants to reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants; it should abandon inefficient power plant scrubbers and follow China's lead by investing more in newer coal technology.
"It takes more coal to burn to get the same amount of power with scrubbers, etcetera. And that's something that China has figured out and that's why they continue to update and modernize their grid system and their power plants," Harpole said.
Harpole says Chinese scientists are also making strides in coal to gas liquification in an attempt to reduce their country's reliance on foreign oil.