Bullock wants coal plant technologies improved

Gov. Steve Bullock recently laid out his case for a Montana-friendly approach to global warming in formal comments submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Obama administration needs to spend more money to improve coal plant technologies and clear the way for more wind power if it’s serious about countering climate change, the Democratic governor said.

The EPA plans to finalize its rules by next summer. Bullock says Montana already has seen climate change through wildfires and low streams, but needs more flexibility to meet federal goals.

States will be asked to cut climate-changing emissions by 30 percent from 2005 levels. The EPA’s plan counts heavily on reductions from coal power plants — a major issue in coal-rich Montana.

Coal burned in conventional power plants emits large amounts of greenhouse gases and is considered by scientists to be one of the main drivers of climate change. Yet development of so-called “clean-coal” technologies has been hampered by high costs, even as critics question the potential benefits.

EPA officials have said they have no plans to shut down the coal industry and have given states leeway to come up with their own plans.

Bullock, however, told EPA administrator Gina McCarthy that the expected closure of coal plants in the Midwest will have significant impacts in Montana. Meanwhile, the administration has “not done enough” to advance technologies that could reduce the amount of carbon from burning coal, he said.

“If this administration is serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it is time that it becomes equally serious about making investments in cleaner coal technology,” Bullock said in his comments to the EPA.

Bullock also noted that listing sage grouse as an endangered species could hamper wind power development and make it more difficult for the state to reach the 2030 goal.