The Charleston Gazette reports:
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the legislation with several coal projects pushed by Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va.
The Senate funding is nearly double the $2.6 billion included in a current House version of the legislation, meant to help boost the sagging economy across the country.
Details were still emerging Tuesday evening, but among the coal provisions outlined in a Byrd news release and a committee statement:
- $2 billion for “near-zero emissions” power plants designed to capture and sequester carbon dioxide.
- $1 billion for the Department of Energy’s Clean Coal Power Initiative.
- $1.6 billion for carbon capture at industrial plants.
“Clean, carbon-neutral coal can be a ‘green’ energy,” Byrd said. “As Congress strives to develop a national energy policy that will break our dependence on foreign oil, it is crucial to ensure that coal, burned in more efficient ways, is part of our nation’s diverse energy mix for the future.” Byrd added, “These investments will help to bolster West Virginia’s economic future.”