Xcel invests in clean energy

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Xcel Energy announced yesterday that it is committing $3.5m through to 2007 to develop an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) generating project in Colorado.

announced today that it is committing $3.5m through 2007 to develop an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) generating project in

. The company plans to file an application with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for approval of the project late next year.

According to Xcel, IGCC is a clean-coal technology that uses a chemical process to turn coal into a gas, which is then burned in a modified combustion turbine to generate electricity. The potential benefits of this technology include increased energy-efficiency and reduced emissions. IGCC is also said to facilitate the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) before it is emitted into the atmosphere. The CO2 can then be sequestered, for example, underground in depleted oil wells. This IGCC project would be the first coal-fueled IGCC plant in the USA to capture a portion of its CO2 emissions.

'We believe the development and commercial operation of clean-coal technology is needed in Colorado and throughout our nation,' said Richard C. Kelly, president, chairman and chief executive officer of Xcel Energy. 'We want to lead the effort to demonstrate that this technology works using western coal at high altitude.'

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