Domenici: Development of Coal-to Liquids Technology Important for U.S. Energy Security
May 24, 2007
12:03 PM
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Pete Domenici, ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today said that development of coal-to-liquids technology is essential for strengthening U.S. energy security over the coming years.
At an Energy Committee hearing to receive testimony from experts on coal-to-liquids, Domenici reiterated his belief that all sources of energy—from wind, solar and biomass to nuclear and coal—would be necessary for the U.S. to meet growing demands for energy.
“This issue is not new to the Committee. We’ve held seven hearings and conferences on coal to liquids since 2005. Its now time to act. According to some estimates, our nation will rely on coal-fired power plants for 57 percent of our electricity by 2030. Coal is not going to go away. However, I hope people will look at coal-to-liquids and ask what are the challenges we must meet, instead of asking how these challenges can be used to scare people,” Domenici said.
Domenici noted that other nations, like South Africa and China, are well on the way to using coal converted to liquid form. In fact, China is constructing an 80,000 barrel per day coal-to-liquid facility, and the Chinese government has proposed using as much as 1 million barrels of coal-to-liquid a day by 2020.
“Coal is a resource that we have in abundance, and if we develop it wisely and lead the march to new clean coal technology, it will give us the economic potential to compete with the world’s emerging economies. We can’t afford to fall much farther behind,” Domenici said.
In addition to sequestration, Thursday’s hearing will discuss efforts to integrate biomass and coal-to-liquids technologies to produce a carbon-neutral energy source.
“I am excited by those who suggest that we can integrate coal-to-liquids gasification and biomass to produce fuels in an environmentally safe manner. These efforts could reduce our dependence on oil, which all of us should support,” Domenici said.
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