Posted on 08/26/2010 8:27:15 AM PDT by CedarDave
BILLINGS, Mont. — Leaders of the Crow Tribe warned Wednesday that a $7 billion coal-to-liquid fuels plant proposed for the Montana reservation could founder unless the federal government throws more support behind the industry.
Crow Chairman Cedric Black Eagle said a perceived anti-coal attitude in Washington, D.C., is scaring off potential plant investors.
A federal tax credit for coal recently expired. Unless the political climate for coal improves, Black Eagle said, the tribe could be forced to suspend its project, which has been billed as a means to pull the rural reservation out of poverty.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
In NM environmental groups and Richardson's state Environment Department regulators have opposed construction of a new coal-fired state-of-the-art generating station on the NM portion of the Navajo reservation. As a Montana attorney (Heather Whiteman Runs Him) for the Crow Tribe said "Coal is not evil. It is possible to use coal in an environmentally friendly way."
NM list PING!
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“coal-to-liquid fuels”
I don’t get it. Cars to run on liquid coal?
I don’t get it. Cars to run on liquid coal?*
Yes, I believe Germany did it during WWII when we choked off their supply of petrol
Was it coal they used? I know they had two synthetic fuel plants. The war finally ended when we bombed them both and the germans ran out of fuel.
Nazi-Germany and South Africa have used the process for extracting liquid from coal; it’s not an unknown methodology though it no doubt has been updated. From the article, plans call conversion of 14 million tons of coal annually to liquid fuels producing 50,000 barrels a day of diesel, jet fuel, fertilizer or other products. Carbon dioxide produced as part of the conversion process would be captured and stored or sold for industrial purposes.
The federal government is already too far in hock to borrow more money for projects that aren’t profitable.
VP Biden vowed no coal plants.
Coal can be converted to crude oil via the Fischer–Tropsch process.
“unless the federal government throws more support behind the industry”
Support = $$$.
I thought they were their own nation. Let them pay for it.
Jeez, are we still subsidizing this crap? I thought we learned a lesson during the Carter administration that billions in subsidies weren’t going to create a viable syn-fuels industry. The fact that countries have resorted to this approach only during times of war or when heavy subsidies are available are a market signal that it is premature to leap into this technology. We can afford to let prices of other petroleum products slowly and steadily rise until the point at which coal conversion becomes both actually necessary and economically viable.
I’m sick and tired of bozos in Washington DC substituting their judgment for the wisdom of the market.
http://www.sasol.com/sasol_internet/frontend/navigation.jsp?navid=1&rootid=1
Sasol is South Africa’s oil company specializing in coal to oil, coal to gas, gas to oil, all kinds of conversions.
Sasol is how South Africa survived the oil embargos that went on for many years. Now they sell their expertise to customers around the world. Except here, of course.
“Yes, I believe Germany did it during WWII when we choked off their supply of petrol”
South Africa still does it. They too were forced to adopt it after our embargo. Known technology for greater than 70 years. Other than the refining process no other changes are required to distribute it or use it. It is a cleaner fuel than petroleum (doesn’t include all those zene’s). BTW, we sit on something like 600 years worth of coal. But the real answers are ethenol, windmills and solar panels according to the media. Just sayin.
“Montana Tribe: Coal-To-Liquids Needs Support in DC”
Yep still another example that we’re giving FedGov too much of our money.
Wonder if this is a continuation of the coal to fuel plant that the Air Force wanted to put on Malmstrom AFB.
The Sierra club was giddy, when the plan was scrapped in Jan.,2009.
Could be the sovereign nation consideration for the Indians
puts the objections out of reach of the Enviroweenies.
We need a tariff on every barrel of imported oil...I suggest $50/bbl...AND a government guarantee of $2.50/gal for every gallon of cracked diesel. The guarantee would be paid for by the tariff.
However, those who are touting Sasol or the Fischer-Tropsch methodology are leaving out the fact that it is UNECONOMIC to convert coal to liquid - especially if you additionally sequester CO2 (which, as we all know, is DIRTY).
Nazi Germany and South Africa made gasoline from coal only because they HAD to do it.
How about we just let the free market decide what fuels we want to use?
As I made clear in my comment, I was not making a statement on the economic viability of the project. At today’s cost of oil and gas, it may well not compete w/o hefty government subsidies and I agree that we need to let the free market drive such decisions.
However, the point I was making had to do with the tribes telling the enviro-nazis to take a hike. Though not mentioned in the article, the same is true here in NM with the new coal-fired power plant the Navajo’s want to build in the four-corners area. They want it and the enviro-dominated state regulatory agency doesn’t and is lobbying Obama’s EPA to use whatever tools they can to stop it (its on Indian land so state does not have permitting control; that’s EPA Region 9 HQ’d in San Francisco CA).
“Wonder if this is a continuation of the coal to fuel plant”
Could you give more explanation. I’m not well informed on those efforts.
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