Oregon Public Broadcasting

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we rely on coal for our power.  About 40 percent of the power we use comes from coal.

When you flip the switch, where does your power come from? And what will power Northwest homes and businesses in the future? We're asking these questions and more for our special series The Switch.

We're looking at other, cleaner sources, but it could be a while before they come online.  Coal, however, is plentiful and cheap, and it probably won't be phased out as an energy source anytime soon. 

That's where carbon capture and sequestration might come in. 

It's a process by which coal plants capture carbon dioxide before it enters the atmosphere and pump it underground. 

Pete McGrail is a researcher with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington.  He says the first part of the process is the more expensive part.