EXPERTS were today unveiling plans to revitalise Yorkshire's coal industry - and clean up the environment.
A report detailing plans to generate energy by burning tree and plant material alongside coal was being announced at a meeting in Wakefield.
Doncaster North Labour MP Ed Miliband will be among those speaking at the event.
The Vision for Coal report says such a scheme could result in a 50% fall in carbon emissions from coal- fired electricity generation over the next 15 years.
The report was produced by consultants Future Energy Solutions for the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly's regional energy forum.
It calls for a major pilot scheme to be run at one of Yorkshire's three coal-fired power stations in a bid to show how carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced.
The report also wants to see improvements to the region's rail network to transport coal and biomass - trees and plants - to the power stations.
And it argues that mining was still important to the regional and national economy - in spite of the closure of many of its pits.
Forum chairman David Bowe said: "This report is a significant development for the region.
"It shows there is a regional consensus that coal-generated power has a role to enable us to become a world-class low-carbon economy.
"Now this has been established we will be using the report to seek a multi-million-pound investment from the Government and industry to make our coal vision a reality."
