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Texas and FutureGen: A Fit for the Future
By addressing the site selection criteria thoroughly, the FutureGen Texas team intends to demonstrate to DOE and the national industry consortium that FutureGen and Texas are a perfect fit. The State of Texas is the ideal candidate for the FutureGen site for myriad reasons:
Coal Consumption Texas consumes more coal than any other state in the U.S. and is the nation’s fifth-largest producer of this abundant and economical source of power. Fuel Reserves Texas has a 200-year reserve of lignite. And with its extensive rail and highway access to higher quality coals, petroleum coke, and petroleum residuals, Texas provides a unique opportunity for testing a variety of input fuel mixes and gasification technologies. Geological Fate Texas and the Gulf Coast region possess the most appropriate geology in the nation for large-volume CO2 sequestration. Critical to FutureGen success, however, will be continued CO2 sequestration experimentation in Texas and rigorous documentation of key geologic criteria to inject and store CO2, as well as protocols to measure, monitor, and verify that storage is permanent. Such actions will encourage other regions to construct similar facilities. Enhanced Oil Recovery Texas, the largest producer of oil and gas in the nation, leads the world in use of natural CO2 for EOR, but it also has tremendous oil reserves and currently unrecoverable oil resources that could be unlocked by access to CO2. Infrastructure Texas’ water resources, pipeline and railway transportation infrastructure, and electric grid access are unmatched. |
Energy Demand Texas’ rapid population growth promises an ever-expanding demand for and consumption of electric power. Some demographers estimate that Texas’ population will increase by 12 million (nearly 50%) by 2030. Texas’ mix of regulated and unregulated power markets provides considerable flexibility for stability in contracting for power from FutureGen and FutureGen-like facilities. Industry Texas’ immense petrochemical, chemical, and refining industries provide an immediate market for FutureGen’s co-products. Intellectual Excellence Texas’ energy sector and extensive university systems are a reservoir of academic and technical expertise.
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