McCain Touts Clean Coal, in Coal Country

PITTSBURGH — After arriving here Tuesday afternoon, Sen. John McCain met with the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, where he sought to distance himself from President George W. Bush. McCain criticized the administration’s policy on Guantanamo Bay — which he again pledged to close — and cited its "out-of-control" spending. He also took the time to reject a call from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for McCain to debate his Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama.

Today, McCain is scheduled to meet with a group of energy executives before touring a coal-fired power plant. McCain has been touting clean-coal technology as one pillar of his "Lexington Project" — a plan to make the United States independent of foreign oil. In addition to steel, the Pittsburgh-area — like much of Pennsylvania — is a major producer of bituminous coal. McCain has promised $2 billion annually to develop clean-coal technology. With increased production of coal-power plants, the region would surely benefit from the many jobs that would create. The Group of 8 yesterday pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent, and clean coal is at the center of its plan. This could mean even more of a boon for the region’s economy.