CALGARY, Alberta ­ The Canadian Clean Power Coalition (CCPC), a group of Canadian coal and coal-fired electricity producers, today announced plans for a Canadian clean coal demonstration power plant.

The CCPC will research, develop, construct and operate a full-scale demonstration plant by 2007 to test the technical, environmental and economic viability of new clean coal technology for retrofit onto an existing coal plant.

The coalition has begun the feasibility study phase of their research into the retrofit power plant. They are also studying the development of clean coal technology for a 'greenfield' facility to be demonstrated later in the decade.

This new technology promises to virtually eliminate air emissions of concern, including carbon dioxide, from coal burning power plants.

"Canadians are looking for ways to address the complex environmental issues associated with coal-fired electricity generation," says Don Lowry, CCPC spokesperson and EPCOR president and CEO. "The CCPC thinks the answer lies in a multi-fuel approach to electric power generation and the combined efforts of industry and governments to develop the next generation of coal combustion technology."

The CCPC's seven participating companies represent over 90 per cent of Canada's coal-fired electricity capacity. CCPC members include ATCO Power, EPCOR, Luscar, Nova Scotia Power, Ontario Power Generation, SaskPower and TransAlta.

Lowry says coalition membership is open to others. "We've had interest in our project from across Canada and around the world. The welcome mat is out. This is a huge endeavour; we're happy to speak with any organization, government or company interested in joining us."

The coalition is currently in discussions with the Government of Canada and a number of provinces for public participation in this groundbreaking project.

In Canada approximately a fifth of our electricity is generated by coal. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia all depend on coal for 70 per cent of their needs, with coal supplying 25 per cent of Ontario's net generation.

Internationally, dependence on coal is even more acute. In China 81 percent of electric generation is fueled by coal and in India that number is about 75 per cent. In the United States, coal accounts for 57 per cent of total generation.