Episode 15 | Engaging Environmentalism | Clean Air Task Force
I first met John Thompson in 2008, when I was working for the Clean Coal Technology Foundation of Texas. John was attending our annual conference and immediately charmed our membership, many of whom had spent their careers fighting environmentalists over the right for coal power to exist. Later that year, I asked John to write the opening piece in our 2009 annual report.
John and the Clean Air Task Force believe coal and other fossil fuels are necessary to meet our energy demands. But they also believe carbon capture needs to be implemented ASAP. John recently spoke out in support of the beleaguered Kemper County energy project on NPR. As he put it, it isn't the carbon capture piece that is causing delays, it's the first-of-its-kind gasification component.
John also pointed out to me that NRG's Petra Nova joint venture has been operating successfully since last year, capturing approximately 1.6 million tons of CO2.
It had been about 8 years, and it was great to reconnect with John during this interview. As always, I found his thoughts on climate change and energy policy thoughtful, accommodating, and eloquent. I wish there were more out there like him searching for a meeting of the minds from all sides of the debate.
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