Coal Can Do That: Energy for the 21st Century

News

India government to allocate coal mines for coal-to-liquid plants
June 11, 2008
Dow Jones Newswire
India has decided to open up its vast coal reserves for use by coal-to-liquids plants, despite carbon dioxide emissions and high demands on local water supplies, in a bid to cut the huge bills that come with the country's dependence on imported crude oil.
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Gas too expensive? Burn coal
June 11, 2008
Tucson Citizen
The most logical answer to high gasoline prices has to be coal. But we continue to rely on oil and natural gas, driving up energy costs.
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We need to be real about energy supply
June 09, 2008
Charleston Daily Mail
In getting global climate change legislation right, and avoiding economic disaster, we need to be sure that the horse of technology is out in front of the cart holding our environmental goals.
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Opinion: 'Coal' is not a dirty word if we are realistic about saving the Earth
June 05, 2008
Philadelphia Inquirer
Why not use technology to lower carbon emissions? And we can by building more nuclear power plants and developing and deploying clean-coal technology, which has already reduced emissions by 70 percent since 1970.
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Is there a perfect source of electricity?
June 01, 2008
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Many people are advocating for wind, solar and nuclear power as the solution for the future because they don't generate soot or carbon dioxide. But unfortunately, the choice is not that easy, because not all else is equal.
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Opinion: Nation needs clear policy for clean power
May 30, 2008
Indianapolis Star
The United States and the Midwest, in particular, are hardly in a position to douse the coal fires anytime soon. Any movement away from coal for now means burning more natural gas to produce electricity. That not only would drive up home heating costs but also would carry its own environmental concerns.
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Burying CO2 vital in climate battle: IEA
May 22, 2008
Reuters
Finding ways of safely burying carbon dioxide could be the only way of keeping greenhouse gas emissions below dangerous levels, the International Energy Agency's chief economist said on Thursday.
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U.S. military launches alternative-fuel push
May 21, 2008
The Wall Street Journal
With fuel prices soaring, the U.S. military, the country's largest single consumer of oil, is turning into an alternative-fuels pioneer.
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DOE provides $1.8 million for Virginia’s CO2 sequestration project
May 21, 2008
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
The U.S. Department of Energy has taken another significant step in its on-going efforts to develop a process to store carbon dioxide in unmineable coal seams.
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Opinion: clean coal is crucial to energy future
May 16, 2008
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
The Democratic presidential primary in Indiana is over, but it generated conversation about many issues, including the critical importance of coal-based energy in America’s future.
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Expect a jolt when opening the electric bill
May 7, 2008
The Wall Street Journal
Surging fuel costs are about to inflict more pain on consumers, this time in the form of rapidly rising electricity bills.
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Presidential candidate Barack Obama discusses coal and carbon emissions
May 4, 2008
NBC 'Meet the Press'
Barack Obama: “I have a aggressive goal of reducing carbon emissions, and coal is a dirty fuel right now. But if we can figure out how to sequester carbon and burn clean coal, we're the Saudi Arabia of coal, and I don't think that we can dismiss out of hand the use of coal as part of our energy mix.”
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Clean coal is coming here
April 30, 2008
Cincinnati Enquirer
Vertus Technologies Limited, a subsidiary of London-based Nviro Cleantech, has signed a 25-year contract with Cincinnati Bulk Terminals, LLC, to install and operate a facility designed to remove pollutants from coal prior to its combustion.
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Casting off coal costly
April 24, 2008
Colorado Springs Gazette
If Colorado slashed its reliance on coal by a third, it would say goodbye to 27,500 jobs and $1.7 billion a year in household income.
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Op-ed: Don't ignore economics in energy-policy debate
April 11, 2008
Central Penn Business Journal
For an energy policy to be effective, it must address many aspects, including the environment and economics. The shortcomings of corn-based ethanol are one example.
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Sasol says its synthetic fuel approved for jet use
April 9, 2008
Reuters
Sasol, the world's biggest maker of fuel from coal, said its synthetic jet fuel has been approved for use in commercial airliners.
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Coal industry takes its case to the voters
April 08, 2008
Reading Eagle
The Democratic presidential campaign has presented an opportunity too good for special-interest groups to resist.
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Coal-use advocates follow contenders
April 01, 2008
Times Leader (Pennsylvania)
While the Democratic presidential candidates are out stumping, they’re being followed by some interesting vans carrying advocates of an issue that a year ago didn’t need any additional publicity.
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Air Force leads push to liquefied coal fuel
March 30, 2008
Seattle Times
Squeezed by the soaring cost of oil-based jet fuel, the Air Force is converting its gas-guzzling fleet of aircraft to synthetic fuels and encouraging the creation of a liquefied coal industry that could tap the nation's vast coal reserves.
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Nearly $1 in $4 of income goes to buy energy
March 28, 2008
Pennsylvania Environment Digest
It is not just the poorest households who are struggling to pay their energy bills or who are affected by government energy policies, says Americans for Balanced Energy Choices.
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Senate hearing tackles carbon issue
March 27, 2008
Bismarck Tribune
Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., see further research into carbon dioxide sequestration technology as a key to allowing the coal industry to contribute to the nation's energy needs in an environmentally friendly way.
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An export in solid supply
March 19, 2008
The New York Times
Rising worldwide demand is turning American coal into another hot global commodity
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Coal-fired power heats up in China
March 17, 2008
The Australian Business
China is building a new coal-fired power station every 10 days while addressing the need to reduce global greenhouse gases. The country is replacing coal plants with new technology power stations that emit less pollutants.
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Carbon capture starts from coal-plant advances in lab
March 13, 2008
IEEE Spectrum Online
A power plant operated by We Energies became the first to begin capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide from its exhaust with the sole purpose of keeping the planet-warming gas out of the atmosphere.
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America's hottest export: coal
March 09, 2008
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Inclement weather and other crises have strained coal markets already stretched thin by soaring Asian demand, and the impact is reverberating to mines in West Virginia and Wyoming, which are being counted on to fill the void.
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West Virginia approves AEP’s proposed clean-coal plant
March 07, 2008
Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
West Virginia regulators approved American Electric Power’s plan to build a $2.23 billion clean-coal plant.
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Wyoming governor OKs clean coal
March 05, 2008
Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
Wyoming became a leader in clean coal technology with the passage of landmark legislation dealing with underground storage of greenhouse gases.
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Opinion: Dominion's new coal-fired plant is the best answer
March 01, 2008
Newport News Daily Press
Coal produces 50 percent of our nation's power needs. Currently, our nation's demand for energy surpasses our country's production abilities. One major reason is because the construction of power-generating plants is lagging far behind our nation's growing demands.
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Governors say coal a key in green debate
February 24, 2008
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Governors pushing alternative-energy development are not shying from coal, a homegrown energy source and an economic lifeline for many states. Leaders of coal-rich states say clean-coal technology is a must.
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Nuclear, coal and science get boost in Bush budget
February 4, 2008
Reuters
Research into producing electricity from low-emission coal saw big funding boosts in the 2009 budget request submitted by the U.S. Energy Department.
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A balanced energy portfolio is best for state
February 3, 2008
Las Vegas Review Journal
It should not be overlooked that coal is our nation's most abundant fuel resource and it can stabilize electricity costs because wholesale prices for coal are more predictable than prices for natural gas.
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Schweitzer touts coal-to-liquid plant
February 1, 2008
Great Falls Tribune
Montana Gov. Bryan Schweitzer calls coal-to-liquid fuel “one leg of a big table” that is needed to address U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
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Coal Industry Plugs Into the Campaign
January 18, 2008
Washington Post
A group backed by the coal industry and its utility allies is waging a $35 million campaign in primary and caucus states to rally public support for coal-fired electricity and to fuel opposition to legislation that Congress is crafting to slow climate change.
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Coal-fuel power plants in Nevada
January 15, 2008
KNPR Nevada Public Radio
Listen to Joe Lucas of Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (discuss) and others discuss coal-fueled power plants in Nevada .
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Technology can help state clean air, meet energy needs
January 13, 2008
Indianapolis Star
A new Duke Energy power plant in Indiana will be the most efficient of its kind when it's completed, thanks to a new innovation that produces clean energy from coal.
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Joe Lucas: Coal is cleaner than ever, and Iowa's economy needs it
January 12, 2008
Des Moines Register
Access to low-cost electricity from coal is a huge economic driver in Iowa. According to a peer-reviewed study done by Penn State University, electricity from coal contributes to $21.7 billion in economic benefits to Iowa's economy and $6.6 billion in household income, much of that coming from 157,000 jobs that are located in the state as a result to access to low-cost electricity for Iowa's businesses.
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Power plant gets the go-ahead
January 11, 2008
Florida Times-Union
A state administrative law judge ruled Friday against environmental groups trying to stop construction of the state's first coal-fired power plant in two decades, dismissing concerns that it would harm people across the state.
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Manchin to tout coal-to-liquid plants in address
January 8, 2008
Charleston Daily Mail
West Virginia's energy independence could bank on the development of five coal-to-liquid plants, which Gov. Joe Manchin hopes the state can accommodate by 2030.
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Green campaigners furious as new coal-fired power station approved
January 4, 2008
London Times
The comeback of coal as an energy source cleared its first hurdle when a council approved plans for Britain’s first coal-fired power station for 20 years.
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Asia looks to coal as oil price surges
January 4, 2008
Wall Street Journal
BEIJING -- Vast coal reserves in Asia are gaining attention as major energy consumers such as China and India grapple with the reality of oil prices around $100 a barrel and the risks they pose to their economies.
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Tech could reduce coal facilities’ emissions
December 27, 2007
USA Today
A new power plant in Indiana could signal a turning point in the future of coal and how the United States reconciles its energy and environmental needs.
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Five coal-to-liquid fuel plants on W. Va. Governor’s wish list
December 25, 2007
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Gov. Joe Manchin is hoping to see five coal-to-liquid plants constructed in the Mountain State by 2030, according to a new state energy report.
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Plans to build a cleaner coal plant advance
December 18, 2007
National Public Radio
Matthew Wald of the New York Times talks with Melissa Block about FutureGen.
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U.S. Senate endorses Rockefeller proposal for CTL development
December 18, 2007
Huntington News
The U.S. Senate endorsed a proposal from Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) to keep the development of coal-to-liquids (CTL) technology advancing in the right direction.
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Air Force conducts first-ever transcontinental Fischer-Tropsch fuels test
December 18, 2007
Air Force Link
The Air Force marked the 104th anniversary of powered flight by completing the first transcontinental flight of an aircraft using a blend of regular aviation and synthetic fuel.
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Putting Clean-Coal Technology On The Map
December 18, 2007
CNBC
Mattoon, Illinois has been selected as the home for FutureGen, a futuristic power plant aimed at burning coal without emitting global warming gases, a $1.8 billion venture expected to bring hundreds of jobs to this central Illinois town.
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Share clean coal tech with us, India tell U.S.
December 13, 2007
The Indian Express
India, which is expected to source a significant portion of its energy requirement from coal-based power plants over the next few years, has asked the United States to share with it the technology behind the FutureGen project, which aims at developing the first-ever coal-based power plant with near zero emissions.
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Coal power potential
December 12, 2007
Washington Times
We often hear that clean, free, inexhaustible renewable energy can replace fossil fuels that sustain our economy. A healthy dose of Energy Reality is needed.
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Put coal in their stockings
December 12, 2007
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
As prices rise for fuel and electricity, coal is our best bet for an energy secure future.
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Peabody joins China's GreenGen power plant project
December 11, 2007
United Press International
Peabody Energy has joined the $1 billion GreenGen project in China. GreenGen uses advanced coal-based technologies to generate electricity for Chinese families and businesses.
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Experts agree renewables needed, but coal keeps electricity reliable
December 6, 2007
Platts Coal Trader
If the goal of the U.S. Congress is to be energy independent, then removing fossil fuels from the equation won't get us there, a panel of energy experts told the Republicans' House Energy Action Team.
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The truth about "alternative energy"
December 5, 2007
Townhall.com
Every week brings new claims that renewable energy will soon replace fossil fuels that sustain our economy today. A healthy dose of reality is needed.
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Leeds research backs carbon capture
December 4, 2007
Emerging Current
New research from the University of Leeds shows that sandstone could provide a safe reservoir for carbon dioxide (CO2).
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Making a case for coal, U.S. energy states demand action
December 4, 2007
Associated Press
At a daylong summit in West Virginia, officials from 11 states called upon Capitol Hill to provide the detailed road map needed to guide U.S. energy policy away from a dependence on foreign oil. Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal said that as long as coal remains this country's most abundant fossil fuel, it must play a central role in U.S. policy.
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Energy summit to emphasize importance of coal
December 4, 2007
Charleston (WV) Daily Mail
At a daylong summit, Gov. Joe Manchin hopes to remind people that coal is going to remain a vital fuel for years to come.
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G8 workshop backs carbon capture and storage technology
December 3, 2007
Power Engineering
At a recent G8 workshop, governments, industry, environmental NGOs and scientific representatives from over 15 key countries agreed to recommendations to accelerate the early global deployment of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS).
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Carbon storage gains support
December 2, 2007
Associated Press
A global race is under way to develop technology to make carbon capture and sequestration a reality.
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Keep clean coal plants for state's power needs
December 2, 2007
The Detroit News
Michigan's energy needs and its business recruitment efforts will be harmed by environmentalists who want to ban the construction of new coal plants in the state but haven't come up with legitimate alternatives.
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Small towns vie for FutureGen
December 1, 2007
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Four rural towns are vying for FutureGen, a next-generation power plant that is expected to revolutionize energy production.
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Clean coal seen as green alternative in Florida
November 29, 2007
Reuters
Resistance to clean coal-fueled electric-generating plants ignores an environmentally viable approach to diversifying energy sources, a Florida power company executive said.
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Coal is the cheapest option
November 28, 2007
Des Moines Register
Affordable electricity is essential to the economic prosperity of Iowa. Iowans need to think about the future from all perspectives. The best way for Iowans to meet increasing electricity demands is to build new, clean-coal power plants.
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ABEC's Joe Lucas discusses clean coal technology on Utah radio
November 26, 2007
KCPW Public Radio
Joe Lucas, Executive Director of Americans for Balanced Energy Choices, discusses why coal is essential for meeting growing power demand and for keeping energy costs low.
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Coal Exec: CO2 capture and sequestration is answer
November 19, 2007
Jackson Hole Star-Tribune Steven F. Leer, chairman and chief executive officer of Arch Coal, told the Associated Press that independent studies and experts all agree that coal will remain a major source of electric generation for the foreseeable future despite concerns that it contributes to global warming.
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Clean coal test traps carbon
November 15, 2007
New Zealand One News
Tests of a new technology for capturing greenhouse gases from coal-fired power plants have achieved 95% cuts in a step towards new ways to fight climate change, a Norwegian company said.
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Expert has faith in coal technology advances
November 13, 2007
Central Iowa Times-Republican
Experts in the coal industry have faith that technology will rise to the challenge of environmental concerns, said Joe Lucas, a non-profit energy policy advocate, during a tour of Iowa.
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RWe to join AEP in validation of carbon capture technology
November 8,2007
CNN
American Electric Power and Germany’s RWE AG will collaborate on a planned validation of a commercial-scale application of carbon capture and storage technology on an existing AEP coal-fired power plant.
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Australian politician admits mistake over clean coal
November 8,2007
Sydney Morning Herald
Celebrity scientist and senate hopeful Dr Karl Kruszelnicki has admitted he was wrong to describe clean coal technology as a complete furphy, and admits clean coal is a worthwhile solution to climate change.
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In case of oil supply disruption, coal offers abundant alternative
November 6,2007
The Patriot News
Given rising oil prices and the vulnerability of the country to events that could disrupt foreign supplies, one would think the government would be pulling out all the stops to bring to fruition one potentially significant alternative source of liquid fuels from coal.
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Being wary of 'outside voices'
October 31, 2007
ReviewOnline.com
Work is progressing to bring BAARD Energy's Ohio River Clean Fuels Project to Wellsville — and all area residents can help that project along.
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Study: Building new power plant would bring in $381 million in wages
October 30,2007
Bay City Times
A new study concludes that several Michigan counties would see $381 million in wages from construction of a proposed coal-fueled power plant.
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Rentech seeks to develop plant at Natchez site
October 17, 2007
2theAdvocate.com
A 26-year-old, clean-energy technology company wants to develop a $4 billion synthetic fuel refinery in Natchez at the Mississippi city's former International Paper site.
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Coal-to-liquid plant considers sites in W.Va.
October 10, 2007
Charleston Gazette
The developer of a liquid coal plant proposed for east-central Ohio is considering several sites in West Virginia for a second such facility.
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Shenhua's massive Erdos CTL project to help China's energy security
September 17, 2007
MineWeb
As China's largest coal company said it will achieve coal-to-fuel production in 2008, China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced Saturday that it will issue rules as early as this year on coal-to-fuel projects to deter overcapacity and reduce the waste of water.
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Big Coal Tries to Recruit Military to Kindle a Market
September 11, 2007
Wall Street Journal
The coal industry wants the U.S. military to jump-start a major new market for its product: liquid transportation fuels derived from coal.
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Romney: Coal into liquid fuel key to plan
August 16, 2007
Times West Virginian
FAIRLEA — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Thursday repeated his pledge to make West Virginia coal key to his national energy plan, and said that commitment would include federal funding for technology to convert coal into liquid fuel.
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Summit: Federal support a must for CTL
August 15, 2007
Register Herald
United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts doesn—t have a reputation as a man who is at a loss for words, and when he took the stage Wednesday as a part of a panel discussion on Coal To Liquids technology, his directness cut right to the heart of the issue, in his opinion, as it pertains to coal.
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Future of coal-to-liquid plants discussed at conference
August 15, 2007
AP
DANIELS, W.Va. (AP) - Congressman Nick Rahall says incentives for developing plants to make motor fuel from coal are uncertain in Congress.
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Coal-To-Liquid Needs Support
August 15, 2007
Forbes
DANIELS, W.Va. - One theme dominated discussion Wednesday at an industry-sponsored conference on turning coal into gasoline and diesel fuel: finding political support for government incentives.
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Coals-to-Liquid Conference Comes to Raleigh County
August 14, 2007
WVNS-TV
DANIELS -- The 2007 Coal-to-Liquids Conference kicked off Tuesday and runs through tomorrow at Glade Springs.
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Coal-to-liquids touted as way to U.S. energy independence
August 14, 2007
Register-Herald
National security, energy independence and financial dividends for West Virginia coal mining were the hot topics of discussion Tuesday evening as the Coal-To-Liquids Coalition—s two-day conference got under way at The Resort at Glade Springs.
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Vital conference — Coal-to-liquid potential important to WV
August 13, 2007
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD — Key players with the potential for shaping the nation—s energy future will converge on southern West Virginia today for the nation—s first-ever Coal-To-Liquids Coalition conference.
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Coal-to-liquids idea is gaining more supporters
July 21, 2007
Register Herald
About a year and a half ago, anyone preaching the gospel of coal to liquids as a means of breaking the stranglehold of foreign oil merchants on America must have felt only the choir was listening.
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Squeezing clean fuels from U.S. coal
July 13, 2007
Sacramento Bee
"You can't get blood out of a stone," the saying goes. But if liquid fuels are the lifeblood of the transportation sector, then technology and economics have combined to disprove that old saw. You can get blood out of a stone - specifically, diesel and other transportation fuels out of coal, at a price competitive with oil-derived fuels.
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Air Force wants U.S. to use a decades-old technology to make jet fuel from an abundant American resource
June 18, 2007
Houston Chronicle
WASHINGTON — Concerned about obtaining enough fuel for its fleet, the Air Force is urging lawmakers to reconsider a technology developed eight decades ago.
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Democrats Push Coal-to-Liquids Energy Plan
June 13, 2007
Washington Post
A group of Senate Democrats from coal-rich states is drafting an amendment to proposed energy legislation that would provide as much as $10 billion in federal loans to pay for capturing and storing greenhouse gases produced by plants that would turn coal into liquid transportation fuels or chemicals.
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Consol wants government to back coal-to-liquids
June 13, 2007
Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The federal government should step in and back development of coal-to-liquid fuel to encourage hesitant coal producers to spend billions of dollars building CTL plants, a senior coal mining executive said.
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Obama yields to a greener side
June 13, 2007
LA Times
WASHINGTON — With pressure mounting on Democratic presidential candidates to adopt hard-line positions on curbing global warming, Sen. Barack Obama on Tuesday backtracked from his long-held support for a controversial plan to promote the use of coal as an alternative fuel to power motor vehicles.
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Senate Democrats Propose Loans for Coal-Based Fuel Plants
June 12, 2007
NY Times
WASHINGTON, June 12 — As the Senate began debate Tuesday on a sprawling bill to reduce oil consumption, top Democrats were circulating a proposal to provide $10 billion in loans for plants that make diesel fuel from coal.
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Senior Air Force officials emphasize need for long-term CTL contracting authority
June 6, 2007
TheStreet.com
see the video here

Lawmakers Push for Big Subsidies for Coal Process
May 28, 2007
New York Times
Even as Congressional leaders draft legislation to reduce greenhouse gases linked to global warming, a powerful roster of Democrats and Republicans is pushing to subsidize coal as the king of alternative fuels.
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Study: Coal-to-liquids plant feasible
May 22, 2007
Herald News
WASHINGTON -- A study done for the U.S. Department of Energy suggests it would be economically and technically feasible to operate the nation's first-ever coal-to-liquids plant in the Illinois coal basin.
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Guest Opinion: Coal key to America's energy future
May 16, 2007
Billings Gazette
If you have filled up your car with gas recently, you have probably noticed that your wallet might be lighter than usual. In just the last two weeks, the average price for gasoline rose to an all-time high, breaking $3 for a gallon of gas.
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Liquid Coal: The Alternative Answer?
May 9, 2007
CNBC
The case for and against liquefied coal as a substitute for gasoline, with Peter Altman, National Environmental Trust coal campaign director; John Ward, Headwaters VP of marketing and government affairs; and CNBC's Dylan Ratigan
see video here

Ohio liquid coal advocates cheer pollution study
May 10, 2007
The Plain Dealer
Washington - Politicians and businessmen who want to produce diesel and jet fuel in eastern Ohio from coal and farm waste hailed a study Wednesday that predicted the "coal-to-liquid" product would pollute less than more conventional fuels.
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Tester rapped for panel vote on liquid coal amendment
May 3, 2007
Billings Gazette
WASHINGTON - Although he says he supports the technology, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., on Wednesday helped sink a measure pushed by Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., to increase the production of liquid fuels from coal.
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Governors To Unveil Western-Southern Alliance To Support Clean Liquid Fuels From American Coal
April 16, 2007
NextGen Energy Council
Governors from Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Nevada and West Virginia will announce today a bipartisan, Western-Southern political alliance that will work to promote the development of next-generation clean energy technologies to help America reduce its reliance on foreign energy by producing clean liquid fuels from American coal.
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China To Produce Liquid Fuel From Coal In 2008
March 30, 2007
Bernama
China's first coal liquefaction project, which will go into operation in 2008, will be able to produce more than one million tonnes of oil a year, significantly reducing the country's dependence on oil imports.
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Rahall, other lawmakers seek coal-to-liquid support
March 29, 2007
Herald Dispatch
WASHINGTON -- Turning domestic coal into liquid fuels could help the United States break its dependence on foreign oil, coal state lawmakers and a newly formed coalition of mining groups, labor unions and coal-using industries said Wednesday.
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It's coal vs. oil as lobbying heats up Hill
March 27, 2007
The Hill
Lawmakers generally have two goals when it comes to energy policy: cutting oil imports and curbing greenhouse gas emissions. One problem in meeting both is that they can conflict — as is the case, critics say, in the process by which coal is converted to gasoline.
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Sasol eyes US coal in global drive
March 7, 2007
Business Report
Johannesburg - Sasol wants to build coal-to-liquid (CTL) plants in three US states as part of its global expansion programme, according to chief executive Pat Davies.
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Coal in cars: great fuel or climate foe?
March 2, 2007
Christian Science Monitor
Coal companies want to fuel your car and lately, they're getting a lot of political support for the idea.
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Cleaner Coal Fuels
February 1, 2007
NY Times
Letter to the editor by Kraig R. Naasz, President & CEO of the National Mining Association on "Energy Rhetoric, and Reality" (editorial, Jan. 25), about the president's request for alternative fuels from coal.
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Michael Wynne: Flying out in front
January 27, 2007
Dallas News
About a month ago, in an event barely noticed by the public, a giant Air Force B-52 bomber powered by a mix of synthetic and conventional jet fuel flew a training mission at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The successful test flight proved conclusively that we can, for this aircraft, immediately reduce our demand for conventional jet fuel by up to 50 percent.
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Canada's PTRC Finds No CO2 Seepage at Saskatchewan's EOR Operations
January 15, 2007
Gasification News
The Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC), a Canadian group comprising both government and industry oil industry interests, is researching the Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) operations at the Weyburn and Midale oil fields in Saskatchewan to learn more about how CO2 behaves underground, acting executive director Brian Kristoff told Gasification News.
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Coal-to-liquids: An idea to explore
January 10, 2007
Grand Forks Herald
BISMARCK - With the vacation season ahead, Americans are paying record high prices for gasoline and relying too much on foreign countries for the gasoline they use.
Full text of the op-ed

My Favorite Green Lump
January 10, 2007
NY Times
When it comes to cleaning up coal, Governor Schweitzer of Montana is dead serious. (subscription required)
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The Green Gripe With Obama: Liquefied Coal Is Still . . . Coal.
January 10, 2007
Washington Post
Who, but who, would soil the environmental reputation of Barack Obama? The Democratic senator from Illinois gets stellar marks from greens. Just a few months ago he was calling global warming "real," saying: "It is here. . . . We couldn't just keep burning fossil fuels and contribute to the changing atmosphere without consequence."
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Energy - Liquid Coal
January 6, 2007
National Journal, via NMA
The bombers and swift-moving tanks that spearheaded petroleum-poor Germany's blitzkrieg during World War II were largely powered by coal — a technological feat made possible by liquefying the fuel. Now, a half-century later, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer is touting liquid coal as the most readily available cure for America's addiction to foreign oil.
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Liquid coal: A cheaper, cleaner 21st century fuel?
December 17, 2006
Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters) - When railroads ruled, it was the sweating firemen shoveling coal into the furnace who kept the engines running. Now, nearly two centuries after Stephenson's "Rocket" steam locomotive helped usher in the Industrial Revolution, that same coal could be the fuel that keeps the jet age aloft.
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Liquid fuel synthesis: Making it up as you go along
December 6, 2006
Nature
Brian Schweitzer, a rancher and the Democratic governor of Montana, has 'folksy' down to a fine art. In a bolo tie, jeans and cowboy boots, Schweitzer shifts seamlessly from jokes about how his border collie, Jag, drinks out of the toilet to analyses of energy policy in which every complex problem gets its down-to-earth soundbite, from pumping carbon dioxide into the ground ("It came from those rocks, we're just sending it home") to public perceptions of coal as a dirty source of energy ("To a lot of people, coal is a four-letter word").
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Pumps are Primed, Clean Diesel will Deliver Cleaner Air
October 10, 2006
EPA
(Washington, D.C., Oct. 10, 2006) Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD), the single, most far-reaching environmental and public health achievement since lead was removed from gasoline, is now available for consumers at the pump.
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Coal-to-liquids power plant proposed
October 3, 2006
BillingsGazette.com
HELENA — Gov. Brian Schweitzer and a coal-energy partnership Monday announced plans to develop a $1.5 billion to $2 billion coal-to-liquids plant and accompanying "clean coal" power plant south of Roundup.
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Military tests 1st synthetic fuel for jets
September 20, 2006
USA Today
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — A 46-year-old jet lumbered off a runway this week on a flight that could lead to a new domestic fuel source, not just for the military but for commercial aviation as well.
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Ethanol is glamorous but coal will win in the end
August 29, 2006
Financial Times
In January, I wrote an article describing my pick of the year for 2006, which was Rentech, a coal-to-liquids technology company.
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Sasol discussing new S African coal to liquids (CTL) synfuels plant
August 23, 2006
MineWeb
JOHANNESBURG — Amid confusing signals from the South African government, Sasol has confirmed that preliminary discussions have been held regarding a possible future increase in synfuels production capacity in South Africa. The discussions have included the possibility of a new greenfields CTL (coal-to-liquids) project.
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Ohio could be on cusp of advance in energy
August 21, 2006
The Columbus Dispatch
The Pentagon's search for a cheaper fuel to power its planes, tanks and trucks has inspired billion-dollar dreams among Ohio leaders and coalindustry executives.
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Air Force tests synthetic fuel
August 20, 2006
Miami Herald
Starting at the end of next month, the Air Force plans a series of tests to determine whether using alternative fuel is a viable option.
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South Africa Has a Way to Get More Oil: Make It From Coal
August 16, 2006
The Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
SECUNDA, South Africa — Every day, conveyor belts haul about 120,000 metric tons of coal into an industrial complex here two hours east of Johannesburg. The facility — resembling a nuclear power plant, with concrete silos looming over nearby potato farms — superheats the coal to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It adds steam and oxygen, cranks up the pressure, and pushes the coal through a series of chemical reactions.
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Study: Coal-to-liquid plants future of U.S. energy
July 30, 2006
The Natchez Democrat
NATCHEZ — America stands at a crossroads and for local leaders the roads cross in Adams County. While officials from Natchez and Adams County were visiting the future coal-to-liquid plant in East Dubuque, Ill., officials from the Southern States Energy Board issued a study looking at the current energy situation in the America.
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Congress should promote coal to liquids technology to increase energy independence
July 19, 2006
The Hill
With gasoline prices at the forefront of the national energy debate, it is appropriate that Congress consider measures that would reduce our nation—s dependence on imported oil. One way that we can accomplish this goal is to incent the use of coal-to-liquids technologies that can replace petroleum in powering transportation.
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Powering the future: Air Force studies Syntroleum's fuel
July 19, 2006
TulsaWorld: Business
OKLAHOMA CITY — An alternative fuel made by Tulsa-based Syntroleum Corp. is being evaluated by aircraft experts at Tinker Air Force Base.
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Search for New Oil Sources Leads to Processed Coal
July 5, 2006
NY Times
EAST DUBUQUE, Ill. — The coal in the ground in Illinois alone has more energy than all the oil in Saudi Arabia. The technology to turn that coal into fuel for cars, homes and factories is proven. And at current prices, that process could be at the vanguard of a big, new industry.
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Bunning says bill to boost coal industry has momentum
June 23, 2006
AP
WASHINGTON Senator Jim Bunning says a bill that could give the coal industry a boost is gaining momentum in Washington.
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Researchers Work on Alternative Jet Fuel
June 19, 2006
CBS News/AP
The spike in oil prices has prompted plenty of drivers to consider biodiesel-powered or hybrid cars for their daily commute, but what about that gas guzzler we use to fly across country?
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La. gets $5 billion plant
June 16, 2006
2theAdvocate.com
State officials unveiled plans Thursday for a newly formed synthetic fuels company to build a $5 billion plant in Geismar that will create up to 1,200 jobs — 900 at the Ascension Parish plant and 300 in north Louisiana coal fields.
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Coal-based liquid fuel gaining interest
May 30, 2006
Marketwatch
PHILADELPHIA (MarketWatch) -- Coal's sooty, Industrial Age image may be giving way to an updated vision: coal transformed into clean-burning liquid fuel that can power military jets and, ultimately, reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
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Tax credit proposed for coal-based fuel
May 23, 2006
UPI
Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) introduced legislation Tuesday with nine cosponsors that would extend a tax credit to companies that produce coal-to-liquid diesel fuel, which can be used as a replacement for oil-based fuels. The extended tax credit — a 50 cents per gallon alternative fuel credit that exists under a 2005 bill — is designed to stimulate investment in expensive coal-to-liquid facilities, Shimkus said, which would ease U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
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Pumping Coal
May 15, 2006
Scientific American
The U.S. is plump with coal. The country has one quarter of the world's reserves, and coal accounts for about 50 percent of the nation's electricity. To cut the reliance on oil imports, why not also use it to power cars and trucks or to heat homes, too?
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Turning Coal into Petro
May 15, 2006
EnergyBizInsider
Lots of coal could mean lots of opportunity. Government analysts say that the United States will get 1.7 million barrels of transportation fuel per day from coal by 2030. The coal industry says it will be more, around 2.6 million barrels per day.
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Turning Dirty Coal Into Clean Energy
April 25, 2006
NPR
Today's expensive gasoline is making people look for alternatives. That has opened doors of opportunity for entrepreneurs such as Andrew Perlman, who is betting that the "clean" fuel of future will be made from one of humanity's oldest -- and dirtiest: coal.
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World may turn back clock for liquid coal future
April 21, 2006
Reuters
Imagine a world where oil is running out and prices are spiraling out of control. Governments are pouring money into potential solutions such as hydrogen fuel cells or new generation nuclear plants to offset the risk for a future energy crisis, but it may be more realistic long-term to turn huge coal reserves into gas and then oil.
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Looking toward Big Sky?
April 21, 2006
Chicago Tribune
Just about everywhere Gov. Brian Schweitzer goes in Montana--or elsewhere, for that matter--he brings along a dog, a black rock and a small vial of clear, nearly odorless fluid.
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Chemical Companies Look to Coal as an Oil Substitute
April 18, 2006
New York Times
Coal for fuel? Pretty common. But coal as the main ingredient in wall paints, fertilizers, even grocery bags? With oil and natural gas prices showing no signs of plummeting, and with incentives to use coal built into the Energy Policy Act of 2005, it just might happen. And chemical...
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PPL exec endorses governor's coal-to-liquid idea
April 11, 2006
Billings Gazette
HELENA -- A top PPL official told Gov. Brian Schweitzer Monday his company will do all that it can to help Montana attract a coal-to-liquids industry.
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Coal-based jet fuel poised for next step
March 27, 2006
Penn State
A jet fuel comparable to Jet A or military JP 8, but derived from at least 50 percent bituminous coal, has successfully powered a helicopter jet engine, according to a Penn State fuel scientist. "Because the fuel is 50 percent derived from coal, it could reduce our use of imported petroleum for this purpose by half," says Dr. Harold H. Schobert, professor of fuel science and director of Penn State's Energy Institute. "We have shown in tests that the mix can go to at least 75 percent coal."
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Liquid coal is good
March 22, 2006
Bismark Tribune
It sounds suspiciously like alchemy. The Fischer-Tropsch process, which has been around since the 1920s, does something more useful than turning a base metal into gold. It can turn coal into another kind of fuel for which there is a high demand.
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