In September 10, 2010, it had been announced that Clean Energy Systems (CES), a Rancho Cordova, CA-based company specialized in the development of zero emissions commercial power plants using an oxy-fuel combustion process, had been selected by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to receive $30m in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The funds were to be used to support development of a commercial-scale oxy-fuel turbine capable of using a diverse set of fuels including natural gas, bio-fuels, refinery off gases, and gasified petroleum coke, while capturing nearly all the carbon dioxide. At the time, Clean Energy Systems Inc. had developed oxy-fuel combustion systems that produced clean, high-energy gases for use in industrial processes and the generation of electrical power. The incorporation of oxy-fuel combustion technology into conventional power generation systems made practical at th time zero-emissions power plants (ZEPPs) based on fossil fuels practical today. ZEPPs had multiple advantages, including compact and lower cost equipment, greater cycle efficiencies with advanced turbines, complete capture of the carbon dioxide (CO2) effluent, and zero emissions (or ultra-low emissions when operating in demand response applications).
