Chapter 1 Introduction INTRODUCTION The issue of global climate change and its consequences has become one of growing concern in recent years. In fact, in December 2009 the Environmental Protection Agency announced that emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) are an endangerment to public health. 1 Despite the fact that there is no specific regulation, one is expected in the near future and will affect utilities profoundly, especially those with coal-fired generation. According to Public Utilities Fortnightly, utilities will have to build 250 GW of new generation capacity to offset retirements and meet new demands through 2035, and this new supply will be composed primarily of natural gas and renewable capacity. Subsequently, there has been an increased focus on energy efficiency and on the development of alternative sources of energy, particularly renewable resources, but also nuclear and clean coal technologies, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS). 2 "Going