Because of the energy bill …
According to testimony from the University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) submitted for today’s hearing: “The geological deposit known as the “Illinois Coal Basin” (Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky) has more untapped energy potential than the combined oil reserves of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. These coals are suitable feed stocks for the production of transportation fuels.”
Sec. 417 of EPACT 2005 specifically directs the Secretary of Energy to evaluate the commercial and technical viability of advanced technologies for the production of Fischer-Tropsch transporation fuels, and other transportation fuels, manufactured from Illinois basin coal.