Yeah, that got my attention too, in an article in the May issue of Popular Science.

The outfit working on this is called the Zero Emission Coal Alliance (ZEMA). The cycle is complex, but coal goes in one end, and electricity comes out of the other. Even the CO2 is locked into a mineral form for disposal.

ZEMA claims a potential 70 percent efficiency, compared to about 34 percent for current coal-burning technology. The Popular Science article cautions that the necessary fuel cell technology is still about five years away. It also claims that the hydrogen produced can be shipped off-site instead of "burned" in fuel cells at the plant, for use in other hydrogen-fueled applications.

The United States is up to its hind end in coal. If this works as advertised, this would be a valuable addition to nuclear power for energy independence and emission reduction.

Again, it will be interesting to see the reaction of radical environmentalists to this idea. I predict they won't like it.