Washington, DC - The role of fossil fuels in a sustainable energy future will be one of the topics under discussion when experts from around the world meet at the 28th Annual International Pittsburgh Coal Conference, Sept. 12-15, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Hosted by the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering, the conference is attended by industry, government and academia representatives from around the world. It focuses on environmental and technological issues surrounding the continued use of coal and the development of future coal-based energy plants to achieve near-zero emissions of pollutants, as well as reduced costs and increased efficiencies.

Fossil fuels and a sustainable energy future will be the focus of comments by the top official for the agency responsible for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) clean coal technology (CCT) and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) research and development (R&D) programs.

Charles "Chuck" McConnell, Chief Operating Officer of DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy (FE) and President Obama’s nominee for assistant secretary of fossil energy, will deliver his assessment in an opening plenary talk.

McConnell is joined on the program by Anthony Cugini, director of FE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), who will discuss NETL’s role in developing and commercializing clean coal and carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies.

New to this year’s conference is the addition of a complete track of financial and technology sessions for coal-based power demonstration projects. NETL organized a series of nine technical sessions, led by NETL scientists and engineers, stretching across three days of the conference and focused on major CCT and CCUS demonstration projects:

  • Three business-centered sessions will address financial strategies for the development, demonstration, and deployment of energy technologies, as well as insurance and risk management solutions for energy projects and coal-based power generation.
  • Six technology-centered sessions will focus on national and international major demonstration programs for coal-based power technologies, including CCUS, low-grade coal utilization, advanced gasification and combustion systems, FutureGen 2.0, and syngas clean-up and utilization.

The complete series will comprise 41 presentations--14 business-centered and 27 technology-centered--by 40 presenters, all of whom are internationally recognized experts in applied energy technology deployment, energy policy, investment and financing, or risk management and insurance.

 

Learn more about the conference Registration information

<p>FECommunications@hq.doe.gov</p><p>&nbsp;</p>