For Release: Thursday, April 21, 2005
Contact: David Gillies: (202) 225-5661

HOUSE PASSES ENERGY BILL WITH COSTELLO CLEAN COAL PROVISIONS

SIUC eligible to be a "Center of Excellence" for coal research

Washington - The House of Representatives today approved H.R. 6, national energy policy legislation that includes several clean coal initiatives authored by U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello (D-IL).  In addition, the bill would almost triple ethanol production by 2012.

The Costello provisions:

Authorize $1.8 billion over nine years for research and demonstration projects in advanced clean coal technologies with the goal of reaching emission levels comparable with natural gas.

Increase funding for fossil energy research and development.

Create national centers for coal research, one of which Costello wants located at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC).

Authorize at least $40 million to create a program to develop advanced technologies to remove carbon dioxide from coal emissions and permanently sequester it below ground.  This is one of the technologies that the FutureGen project is designed to use.

"I am pleased that our proposed national energy policy continues to contain a large role for coal," said Costello.  "While I expect this bill to be improved as it moves forward, it is very good for Illinois.  I would like to see an even greater focus on renewable fuels and increasing efficiencies." 

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