Whitfield Urges President to Highlight Coal in State of the Union Address | News | Congressman Ed Whitfield

News | Congressman Ed Whitfield | United States Representative

Whitfield Urges President to Highlight Coal in State of the Union Address Jan 17, 2006 Congressman Ed Whitfield recently spearheaded a letter to President Bush that asks the President to remain committed to utilizing coal as a cornerstone of our national energy policy.

Coal is a 21st century energy resource it is mined, transported and used in the U.S. in an environmentally compatible and sustainable manner, said Whitfield. Coal can be converted by existing modern technology into clean, zero-sulfur synthetic oil and oil products at a cost well below current levels. There are more than 250 billion tons of recoverable U.S. coal reserves, which is equivalent to an estimated 800 billion barrels of oil. This figure is even more impressive when you consider that Saudi Arabia, with the largest known oil reserves, only has proven reserves of 260 billion barrels.

Along with Whitfield, 28 other Members signed the letter to President Bush. The text of the letter is included below.

Dear Mr. President:

We commend your continued support and leadership to advance the use of coal to meet our nations energy needs. As you consider various alternatives for addressing our current energy concerns, we encourage you to remain steadfast in making domestic coal a cornerstone of U.S. energy policy. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 provides a strong foundation for implementing an energy policy that reflects the changing political, economic, environmental and resource realities of the world in which we live. Building on that strong statement, we urge you to take steps to encourage an expanded role for coal. Beyond the traditional generation of electricity, coal can be used in the industrial, transportation, residential, commercial, governmental and military sectors. One near term opportunity for advancing the broader use of coal is in your upcoming State of the Union address. It is our belief that the American people would welcome a clear statement of support by you on the importance and opportunities associated with the use of coal.

Coal already generates more than half of our nations electricity and is the largest single source of overall domestic energy production at more than 31 percent of the total. With over 250 years of demonstrated reserves, coal is a readily available domestic resource. Furthermore, new clean coal technologies (CCT), such as Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC), coal-to-liquid and coal-to-gas technology, and the FutureGen Initiative, allow coal to be used in innovative ways that are both efficient and environmentally sustainable. Coal-to-gas technology can provide an important industrial feedstock and coal-to-liquid conversion allows for the creation of new transportation fuels. In fact, coal can be converted by existing modern technology into clean, zero-sulfur synthetic oil and oil products.

Rising prices and supply issues involving other energy resources have underscored the importance of using domestic coal in our nations energy portfolio. Mined, transported and utilized in the U.S., our coal reserves have been well-mapped and are retrievable without the exploration costs associated with other resources. As you prepare for your State of the Union address, we hope that you will take the opportunity to include remarks on the importance of coal. We believe the increased use of this geographically diverse domestic resource will further our goal of energy independence and be integral to our energy security for the 21st century and beyond.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

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