Ashland, KY – Congressman Geoff Davis was pleased to welcome U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman and Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Jeffrey Jarrett to Ashland, Kentucky for an energy summit today.
At the summit, Congressman Davis, Secretary Bodman and Assistant Secretary Jarrett heard presentations from the University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research, the Governor’s Office of Energy Policy and the Southern States Energy Board. These organizations have been instrumental in promoting Kentucky coal as a clean, reliable, and affordable alternative fuel source.
In addition, the Secretary announced $450 million in grants for the deployment of carbon sequestration technology. Of this, over $134 million will go to organizations partnering with Kentucky businesses. The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (www.sequestration.org) and the Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (www.mrcsp.org) will each receive $67 million over the next ten years. Between the two, Duke Energy, the Kentucky Oil and Gas Association, and Kentucky Geological Services, Louisville Gas & Electric, and Peabody Coal are partners.
“Coal is an important energy resource for our country and in places like Kentucky the coal industry can be an economic engine for a community. Studies show that we have enough coal in our nation to provide electricity for nearly 250 years, so we need to find ways to use it in an environmentally responsible way. Carbon sequestration can play a key role in the effort to mitigate the environmental impacts of using coal,” Secretary Bodman said. “These tests will help us determine the best ways to safely sequester carbon dioxide in geologic formations in the Earth. Once we can prove this technology at a grand scale, we can share it with governments around the world and have a truly global impact.”
“I appreciate Secretary Bodman and Assistant Secretary Jarrett coming to the Fourth District to meet with leaders in Kentucky’s coal industry,” said Congressman Davis. “As the third largest coal producer in the U.S., Kentucky can benefit from coal-to-liquids technology that has the potential to help solve our nation’s energy crisis. Sequestration technology holds the key to the continued environmentally-responsible use of coal. I look forward to continuing to work with our coal industry leaders in Kentucky and energy policymakers in Washington as we continue to seek environmentally-sound ways to address our nation’s energy needs.”
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