Clean coal seen likely to suffer delays in U.S.

By Nichola Groom

"What's occurred is probably going to result in delays, which is unfortunate," Peabody Energy Corp Chief Executive Gregory Boyce said of the co-called FutureGen plant that the U.S. Department of Energy pulled its support from due to ballooning costs.

Now, the United States is likely five to 10 years away from having commercial-scale power plants that burn coal and sock away carbon dioxide emissions underground, he said.

Peabody Energy is part of the 13-member FutureGen Alliance that includes U.S. utilities and coal producers, along with international miners Anglo American , BHP Billiton and China's largest coal-based power company, China Huaneng Group.

"Our objective is to get these things developed as soon as we can," Boyce added.