Published: December 25, 2007 08:43 pm
is slglf talking with mingo county?
Manchin sees a CTL future
By CHARLES OWENS
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
CHARLESTON — Gov. Joe Manchin is hoping to see five coal-to-liquid plants constructed in the Mountain State by 2030, according to a new state energy report.
The coal-to-liquid, or CTL plants, are one of several goals included in the governor’s energy plan called “West Virginia Energy Opportunities: A Blueprint for the Future Resources of Economic Growth and Energy Security.” The plan was discussed during a recent regional meeting of governors in Roanoke, Matt Turner, a spokesman for Manchin, said.
The proposal seeks the development of an energy policy and plan for the state that aims to achieve energy independence by 2030. The plan seeks to include all forms of feasible energy technologies from clean coal, to coal liquefaction, to natural gas and wind and solar power.
“Any time there is an increase in coal production the entire state would benefit,” Jeff Herholdt, acting director of the state Division of Energy, said. “You would expect if there is an increase in coal committed to CTL plants there would still be the traditional needs for West Virginia coal that would have to be met as well.”
According to the report, the state’s goal of displacing 1.3 billion gallons of oil annually by 2030 could be met with the creation of five CTL plants. Providing the coal to support the five plants could lead to a 15 percent increase in annual coal production, according to the report.
“The plan has a goal of a 100,000 barrels a day by coal-to-liquid,” Herholdt said. “It (the plan) has been submitted to the governor and the Legislature. Our goal is 60 percent petroleum displacement.”
Although specific sites for the proposed CTL plants are not discussed in the report, Herholdt said the state is working with Mingo County officials on A proposal for a CTL plant in southern West Virginia.
According to the plan, a long-term solution to meeting the state’s energy needs would involve a combination of three energy opportunity areas. Those include an enhanced production of fossil energy sources including advance coal technologies; renewable energy development; and energy efficiency.
“CTL is something that we as a nation must address with both imported oil and energy security,” Herholdt said. “As a world, we are now consuming 85 million gallons of oil a day. Can our world oil resources continue to accommodate that demand? It certainly raises the issue of where does our future liquid petroleum come from. The plan is kind of our blueprint on how do we work to advance energy opportunities.”
– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com |
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