[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11199-11200]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                COAL TO LIQUID AS AN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, according to the Energy Information 
Agency, the United States currently imports 60 percent of its oil, and 
that number is expected to rise to 75 percent in the coming decades. As 
a country, we need to reduce our dependency on foreign fuel sources and 
start implementing alternative energy sources that can be found here in 
the United States.
  Imported fuels such as crude oil and natural gas are costing this 
country millions of dollars a year, accounting for about one-third of 
the U.S. trade deficit. At $45 a barrel, liquid coal fuel is a 
desirable alternative to the $120 or more barrel of oil. Not only does 
this innovative fuel cost less, but also coal is one of the most 
abundant resources in our country.
  As Congress continues to explore the use of alternative energy 
sources, we need to look closely at the enormous benefits of coal-to-
liquid technology.

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