Duke Energy has been approved [1] to build a next generation coal plant that could eventually be fitted with carbon sequestration technology.

The 630 Megawatt plant, which will gasify coal using integrated gasification combined cycle technology. The process separates out regulated pollutants, such as mercury, as well as carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas.

"This plant will be hands down the lowest-emitting plant in the country," said Kurt Waltzer, a Midwest coal expert for the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit organization.

The Indiana utility agency said it ordered Duke to initiate an investigation within six months on the possibility of capturing its CO2 emissions and pumping them into aging oil fields to boost crude output.