MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz visited the National Energy Technology Laboratory on Monday, emphasizing the lab’s role in President Obama’s plan to reduce climate change.
“Last month, President Obama laid out a broad plan to reduce the effects of climate change by cutting dangerous carbon pollution, increasing the production of clean energy, and doubling down on energy efficiency,” said Moniz. “The challenges we face are serious. We are already beginning to feel the effects of climate change—floods, heat waves and droughts are becoming more sever, driving up food and energy prices. And rising temperatures and more intense storms pose a serious threat to our infrastructure throughout the country.”
Moniz explained the Department of Energy is developing new energy stockpiles—like fossil fuels and nuclear power—in order to give the marketplace a choice.
And, he said, although a main thrust of the administration’s plan is to reduce carbon emissions, this doesn’t mean coal will be eliminated as a power source in the near future.
“The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects increases in U.S. coal utilization in 2013, and other countries have been increasing their imports of coal,” said Moniz. “Coal use is actually up now, compared to last year. And that reflects the reality of what’s been happening in the power sector. It’s market-driven.”
He said the United States needs to utilize traditional power sources and develop new ones as well.
“To do that we need to both innovate around today’s major energy sources, like fossil fuels, nuclear power,” Moniz said.
But, he said, the demands and sources for energy will differ across the country and the world.
“The choices, the marketplace choices, will be different in different regions of our country,” said Moniz. “They will be different in different countries of the world.”