Fossil Fuels:

Pace and Focus of the Clean Coal Technology Program Need to Be Assessed

RCED-90-67: Published: Mar 19, 1990. Publicly Released: Mar 19, 1990.

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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Energy's (DOE) evaluation and selection of project proposals under the second round of the Clean Coal Technology (CCT) Program.

GAO found that: (1) DOE formed a board to develop proposal evaluation and selection criteria and evaluate proposed projects; and (2) DOE developed evaluation criteria in accordance with congressional and other program guidance. GAO also found that: (1) DOE picked 16 projects that represented the highest-ranked proposals for the range of technologies it included, but DOE rated 12 of the 16 projects weak in meeting 1 or more comprehensive evaluation criteria, acid rain reduction criteria, or technical readiness criteria; (2) half of the 48 proposals that DOE evaluated fared poorly against 3 or more of the evaluation criteria; and (3) 14 of the 32 projects that DOE did not select had better potential for reducing acid-rain-causing emissions than the 9 weakest projects DOE selected.

Matter for Congressional Consideration

  1. Status: Closed - Not Implemented

    Comments: Public Law 102-154 requires DOE to issue the solicitation for round-five project proposals by July 6, 1992, and to select the projects within 10 months after the date of the solicitation. Therefore, GAO is closing this recommendation.

    Matter: Given the current status of projects in the CCT Program and in view of the Nation's current budget constraints, Congress may wish to consider amending the CCT provision of Public Law 101-121 to direct DOE to delay requesting proposals and selecting projects for rounds four and five of the program until it obtains additional demonstration results from projects already in the program.

 

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