Bush preaches clean coal

The US coal industry received welcome support at the end of January when, in his State of the Union address, President Bush emphasized the role clean coal technologies can play in lessening US dependence on foreign oil. In his speech he unveiled the Advanced Energy Initiative, a new federal programme that calls for a 22% increase in federal funds for clean energy research, including near zero-emission coal-fired plants, which the president specifically highlighted as a critical option for strengthening America’s energy security.

An intense focus on clean energy technologies will help America accomplish a 75% cut in oil imports from the Middle East by 2025, the president said. “By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment [and] move beyond a petroleum-based economy,”

The president’s fiscal year 2007 budget, transmitted to Congress in February, called for an additional $54 million to support the FutureGen project and another $281 million to support the development of other clean coal technologies.