The Environment Agency has welcomed the government's consultation on carbon capture and storage.
Speaking earlier this week, Lord Chris Smith said it is a step forward for the country's climate policy.
"The government's decision not to build any new coal power stations without carbon capture technology offers real hope of a new era of 'clean coal', " he commented.
Lord Smith added that the Environment Agency would be working closely with the Department for Energy and Climate Change to overcome any obstacles in the future and would be formulating contingency plans should it take "longer than anticipated to prove the technology".
Energy secretary Ed Milliband claimed earlier this year that the technology would allow the UK to keep using coal without compromising its commitment to tackling climate change.
According to the BBC, coal power provided more than 30 per cent of the country's electricity during 2008.
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