Coal and Gas Story aired: Thursday, February 09, 2006
President Bush wants to cut the amount of oil we import from the Middle East by 75 percent over the next 20 years. Right now the United States imports about 16 million barrels of oil a day overall and three million from the Middle East.
The president didn't mention conserving energy, instead he said technology would help reduce America's addiction to oil.
Zero emission coal-fired plants are gaining widespread attention around the country. It is a process where you can burn coal and convert it into natural gas to run power plants or into a liquid form that can be used for jet or diesel fuel. In theory, both types of plants could run without releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
The state of Montana is at the forefront of developing alternative uses for coal. Right now the state produces about 40 million tons of coal a year, which is used to produce half the state's electricity.
But there are vast, untapped reserves in the eastern part of the state, and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer says his state's coal could help ease U.S. dependency on foreign oil.
Guests:
Kelly Sims Gallagher, director of the Energy Technology Innovation Project at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
