Published September 1980 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd Harnessing Our Resources The signing of agreements for constructing a $1.4 billion liquefied coal plant near Morgantown represents another valuable plank in the building of a new energy foundation for America. The United States, Germany, and Japan, along with industrial firms in each of these countries, are embarking on a joint venture to promote a synthetic substitute for oil. Each of us must forge new energy development to reduce our reliance on the unstable Persian Gulf region, and to meet the petroleum demands of an industrial society. The project involves the building of a pilot plant to demonstrate the solvent refined coal (SRC) II process, which converts high-sulfur coal into a clean-burning liquid fuel. The plant, which will transform 6,000 tons of coal daily into the equivalent of 20,000 barrels of liquid fuel, can be a guidepost for future energy projects. It will exhibit the feasibility of a large-scale synthetic fuels plant, providing data on equipment performance, operating costs, and investment needs. Following completion of the demonstration project, the plant can be enlarged to a commercial-sized operation that would produce 100,000 barrels of synthetic fuels daily. The solvent refining process permits the use of West Virginia's abundant metallurgical coal, and the commercial development of SRC plants domestically would increase our reliance on native energy supplies. The promotion of the use of coal, and other domestic energy resources, is imperative. Just a decade ago, our country paid an average price of under $3 per barrel for imported oil. Today, the United States pays an average price of $32 per barrel, pushing our imported oil bill to a projected $94 billion this year. We possess the technology and innovative spirit needed to establish coal as the focus of a secure energy future. Our national economic and military security is at stake, and time is running out. Coal is our energy life-line. We must act quickly to reduce our reliance on costly foreign oil. September 3, 1980