Environmentalists on Wednesday reacted with skepticism to recent support for clean coal and natural gas by Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter and gubernatorial candidate John Hickenlooper.

By Peter Marcus/Denver Daily News

During remarks before the Colorado Oil and Gas Association on Wednesday, Hickenlooper said if elected governor he would foster creating demand for clean-burning natural gas in an effort to spur Colorado’s economy.

Ritter on Wednesday congratulated two Colorado companies for winning $14 million in clean coal grants from the U.S. Department of Energy. Littleton-based ADA Environmental Solutions and Boulder-based ION Engineering were among 10 companies nationwide chosen for the awards.

But environmentalists question any push for clean coal and natural gas, arguing that there really is no such thing as clean energy when it comes to non-renewable resources.

“There are serious and significant impacts to coal mining that we’ll always live with regardless of whether or not we’re able to capture carbon,” said Matt Garrington, with Environment Colorado.

The grants awarded to the two Colorado companies are for technologies in capturing carbon dioxide from coal combustion. Ritter said the “cutting-edge technologies É are helping to create a cleaner environment for generations to come.”

Garrington doubts achieving sustainability through clean coal, and is critical of assisting the energy industry with developing clean coal technologies. “We certainly should not be subsidizing the coal industry,” he said. “The coal industry is an established industry with plenty of capital, and they should be making their own investments.”

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