Methods to reduce CO{sub 2} release to the atmosphere.

The U.S. anthropogenic emission of CO{sub 2} is over 5.5 billion tons a year. Over 1/3 of it is emitted by power plants, and 90% of all power plant emissions is released by coal fired units. Figure 1 shows the amount of coal used and the amount of electricity generated from coal over a several year period. Burning one lb of coal produces about 2.1 lbs of CO{sub 2} and about 1 kWh of electricity, or a 1000 MW coal-fired plant emits over 1000 tons of CO{sub 2} per hour. Therefore, power plants are good candidates for reducing CO{sub 2} emissions. Emissions can be reduced by conserving energy, fuel and oxidant treatment prior to combustion, using fuels with higher H/C ratios, and by capturing the CO{sub 2}