The U.S. Secretary of Energy, Dr. Ernest Moniz, headed to the Kemper Plant on 8 November 2013  for a tour with a half dozen energy leaders from countries around the world.  The Wall Street Journal published an article on the event:

Joining Secretary Moniz at the Kemper facility were Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Thomas A. Fanning, Mississippi Power President and CEO Ed Holland and energy ministry officials from around the world, including Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom.

Fossil fuels are an important aspect of the energy portfolio here in the US.  In fact, they make up the overwhelming majority of America’s energy source.  In the 21st century, however, we must focus on developing technologies to support clean coal projects and find innovative ways to utilize the resources around us — like lignite.  Well, that is exactly was Mississippi Power Company is doing with its first-of-its-kind Kemper Plant; its fuel is lignite, an abundant resource in Mississippi.

“The Kemper County energy facility’s technology provides a way to maintain coal’s place in a clean, safe, reliable and affordable portfolio of energy resources,” said Fanning. “Today’s visit demonstrates the international interest in using 21st century coal technology first deployed in Mississippi to help power economies around the globe.”

For more information from the Department of Energy, please visit their blog on the Kemper Plant visit.