Officials looking at Malmstrom for coal-to-liquid fuels plant
WASHINGTON (AP) — Montana's congressional delegation met with a top U.S. Air Force official Thursday to discuss the possibility of a coal-to-liquids plant at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls.
Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg and Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester met with William Anderson, assistant secretary for installations, environment and logistics, about a possible new mission that would use clean coal technology to turn coal into jet and other types of fuel.
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§ The proposed energy mission could bring more than 1,000 jobs to Great Falls, Baucus and Tester said in a release.
``This new mission sounds very interesting and very promising, and if it's done right with carbon sequestration, I think it would be a good fit for Great Falls,'' Baucus said.
With carbon sequestration, carbon dioxide generated by the process would be injected into the ground.
In addition to bolstering Malmstrom's role in the nation's defense, the proposal would address one of the top issues in the country — securing a domestic energy supply, Rehberg said.
Last year, both the Defense Authorization and Appropriation bills included language requiring the Department of Defense to report back to Congress on actions to reduce consumption of fossil fuels, increase energy efficiencies and explore the viability of using synthetic fuels from coal.
In addition, Air Force leaders have expressed a goal of using synthetic fuels for half of its domestic aviation fuel by 2016, Rehberg said.
``Creating a CTL facility at Malmstrom would allow the Air Force to expand their ability to explore a potential alternative fuel while benefiting the Great Falls community and Montana in the process,'' he said.
During the meeting, Baucus and Tester highlighted Montana's abundance of open space and coal, and the support of its elected officials and community members in developing clean energy.
The senators said they have worked to find a second mission at Malmstrom in response to the Pentagon's decision earlier this summer to remove 50 of the base's 200 Minuteman III missiles. |