EC July 2007

ec@lists.wvsierraclub.org

13 participants
25 discussions

The Climate Game is Over..(y, n, really.?)
by Duane330＠aol.com 29 Jul '07

29 Jul '07

Editorial Climate: Game Over Donald Kennedy, editor, Science (AAAS) With respect to climate change, we have abruptly passed the tipping point in what until recently has been a tense political controversy. Why? Industry leaders, nongovernmental organizations, Al Gore, and public attention have all played a role. At the core, however, it's about the relentless progress of science. As data accumulate, denialists retreat to the safety of the Wall Street Journal op-ed page or seek social relaxation with old pals from the tobacco lobby from whom they first learned to "teach the controversy." Meanwhile, political judgments are in, and the game is over. Indeed, on this page last week, a member of Parliament described how the European Union and his British colleagues are moving toward setting hard targets for greenhouse gas reductions. Science, 27 July 2007 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "City welcomes TrAIL blazers", Fairmont Times West Virginian, front page headlines Regional office for the power line will be in Vets' Plaza. Kenny Construction Co. President John Kenny, Jr, Allegheny Power President Dave Filtman and state Sen. Brooks McCabe announce the construction company will open an office in Fairmont to build AE's new transmission line. The TrAIL project will create an estimated 700 construction jobs for the next five years. Fairmont Mayor Scott Sears officially welcomed Kenny Construction to the "family of Fairmont" and declared the city is "open for business". Kenny Construction is a Chicago-based construction company that has its focus on honesty, integrity and safety, according to its President. Friday, July 27, 2007. ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

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Re: [EC] Fwd: Fw: July 25 FutureCoalFuels.org Update
by Grubb, Karen 26 Jul '07

26 Jul '07

This is a possibly as the ExCom will have a meeting August 11 in Lewisburg. I could possibly stay over at my brother's in Renick. Karen -----Original Message----- From: ec-bounces(a)osenergy.org [mailto:ec-bounces@osenergy.org] On Behalf Of James Kotcon Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 9:06 AM To: ec(a)osenergy.org; Glen Besa Subject: [EC] Fwd: Fw: July 25 FutureCoalFuels.org Update Anybody want to go to Beckley to picket this event? With the right preparation, we might get a lot of press to help nip this industry in the bud. At a minimum, they should know that there is opposition, even in West Virginia. JBK >>> "Donald Strimbeck" <dcsoinks(a)comcast.net> 7/25/2007 11:05 AM >>> Untitled Donald C. Strimbeck, Secretary Upper Monongahela River Association Incorporated 109 Broad Street, P.O. Box 519 Granville, WV 26534-0519 304-599-7585 (Fax:4131) Email: dcsoinks(a)comcast.net http://www.uppermon.org http://www.monriversummit.org ----- Original Message ----- From: info futurecoalfuels To: dcsoinks(a)comcast.net Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 10:15 AM Subject: July 25 FutureCoalFuels.org Update FutureCoalFuels.org Update July 25, 2007 In this update: Coal-to-Liquids Coalition to host major CTL conference in West Virginia Rep. Barton emphasizes need for domestic CTL fuels in House energy bill DOE highlights need for domestic CTL fuels in Sacramento Bee House approves bill funding Ohio CTL studies Peabody Energy considering CTL plant in western Kentucky Become a CTL grassroots supporter ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- Coal-to-Liquids Coalition to host major CTL conference in West Virginia The Coal-to-Liquids Coalition will host a major conference Aug. 14-15 in Beckley, W.Va., that will highlight the significant energy security, economic and environmental benefits America stands to gain by jumpstarting production of clean, domestic coal-to-liquid (CTL) transportation fuels. The conference will feature the latest information on the outlook for domestically produced CTL fuels by U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.) U.S. Air Force Undersecretary Dr. Ronald M. Sega, Assistant Air Force Secretary William Anderson, as well as presentations from leading industry, financial and labor experts. Among the speakers scheduled to participate in the conference are United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts, Pat Esposito, energy advisor to West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) and Peabody Energy Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Fred Palmer. The conference will also include a luncheon presentation by Lt. Col. Daniel Millman, who conducted B-52 testing of Fischer-Tropsch fuels for the Air Force in 2006. Col. Millman will detail his experience flying aircraft powered by fuels made using the same process that will be used to produce domestic CTL fuels. "The Coal-to-Liquids Coalition is proud to host this conference that will spotlight how CTL fuels can play a vital role in creating a new energy future for America," said National Mining Association President and CEO Kraig R. Naasz. "On behalf of the coalition, I urge those interested in learning how CTL fuels can put America on a path to energy independence to attend and learn more from leading military, industry, labor and government representatives on the many benefits offered by domestic CTL fuels." To register and learn more about the conference, please visit: www.ctlconference2007.org or contact Corey Henry at chenry(a)futurecoalfuels.org. Rep. Barton emphasizes need for domestic CTL fuels in House energy bill House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Joe Barton (R-Texas) recently expressed dismay that the House of Representatives may soon consider energy legislation that does not contain incentives meant to jumpstart the production of clean, domestic coal-to-liquid (CTL) transportation fuels. Speaking at an energy forum hosted by Congressional Quarterly, Barton stressed that coal is "our most abundant natural resource.and we ought to use it." Barton lamented that energy legislation the House could consider in the next two weeks as currently drafted is an "energy bill that has no energy in it." Barton said that the abundance of coal in the U.S. is what makes CTL fuels "so attractive," saying "politically [CTL] has to be in the mix" if the House stands any chance of advancing comprehensive energy legislation. John Ward, vice president of marketing and government affairs for Headwaters Inc., participated in a panel discussion with representatives from leading energy producing and using organizations and detailed how congressional support for CTL fuels is needed to begin reducing America's growing reliance on oil imported from unstable parts of the world. Headwaters Inc. is a member of the Coal-to-Liquids Coalition (CTLC) and is actively engaged in efforts to construct the first fleet of CTL facilities in the United States. Ward also noted that the construction and operation of domestic CTL facilities will create thousands of new, high-paying jobs across the nation. He stressed that domestically made CTL fuels will help reduce the flow of billions of dollars American consumers send to hostile and unstable nations. In addition, Ward stressed that federal studies have demonstrated that in comparison to the fuels they will replace, CTL fuels will be as clean, or cleaner, in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, while substantially reducing emissions of harmful pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter "On behalf of the CTLC, I want to thank John Ward and Rep. Barton for so clearly making the case for federal support of incentives that would accelerate domestic CTL production and help put America on the road to energy independence," said National Mining Association President and CEO Kraig R. Naasz. "America's future economic prosperity and national security hinge on allowing domestic CTL fuels to lead the way toward breaking our addiction to foreign oil." DOE highlights need for domestic CTL fuels in Sacramento Bee A senior U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) official earlier this month emphasized the urgent need to begin production of clean, domestic coal-to-liquid (CTL) transportation fuels, citing the energy security and environmental gains America can realize through production and use of domestic CTL fuels. "Energy security means having reliable, affordable and environmentally sound sources of energy available largely from domestic sources," wrote Lowell Miller, director of DOE's Office of Sequestration, Hydrogen and Clean Coal Fuels in a July 13 Sacramento Bee opinion piece. "Coal fits the bill." As crude oil prices appear likely to remain in the $50-60 range for the foreseeable future, "coal-derived fuels can provide a highly competitive and clean supplement to oil-derived fuels, substantially reducing the need for imported oil and thereby increasing energy security," said Miller. "The chemical-industrial process for extracting ultra-clean diesel fuel, jet fuel and other products from coal has been around for decades, but only in recent years have advances in technology and the steep increase in the price of oil combined to make "coal-to-liquids" an attractive part of the solution to our pressing energy security and environmental concerns," wrote Miller. Miller noted that a recent report from the National Coal Council estimates that America's coal supply could produce 2.6 million barrels per day of coal-derived fuels and highlighted that the Air Force has already "successfully tested blends of coal-derived jet fuel in its planes." Miller emphasized that technological innovations are helping to make coal use increasingly clean. "Carbon sequestration and other emissions-reduction technologies can be applied to coal-to-liquids plants, and the primary product, ultra-clean diesel fuel, is far cleaner than any diesel fuel or gasoline in use today," Miller wrote. As various legislative proposals have been and will continue to be considered on Capitol Hill, Miller said efforts are under across the country to begin constructing the first fleet of CTL plants. "While the legislative wheels grind, developers are working on coal-to-liquids plans with the governors and governments of Alaska, Montana, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Louisiana." Miller also noted that America's economic competitors are racing ahead with plans to produce CTL fuels. "China.expects to be producing 20,000 barrels of fuel daily from its first coal-to-liquids plant before the year is out," said Miller. "When planned expansion is complete, the plant will produce 200,000 barrels of fuel a day. This is only the first shot in a massive, $127 billion coal liquefaction campaign by the Chinese." Miller also pointed to CTL production plans in Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand and noted that India's government is actively studying CTL fuel production. A complete copy of Miller's opinion piece is available here. House approves bill funding Ohio CTL studies The U.S. House of Representatives last week approved a fiscal year 2008 appropriations bill that contains $2.25 million to study the technologies that could be used by a CTL plant Baard Energy plans on constructing in southeast Ohio. A total of $1 million has been set aside to support a carbon sequestration scoping study meant to identify major geologic sites in Ohio suitable for underground carbon dioxide storage, while another $250,000 would be used to study the carbon life cycle of coal-based transportation fuel. The remaining $1 million would finance a northeastern Ohio pipeline study. Construction of the Baard facility is expected to result in 4,000 jobs over the four years of expected construction and generate $31 million in income southeast Ohio. Peabody Energy considering CTL plant in western Kentucky Platts Coal Trader reported on July 6 that a CTL project under consideration by Peabody Energy for construction in Union County, Ky., is in the "very preliminary" stages, with its future likely to be decided by the results of a soon-to-be completed feasibility study. Platts reported that the $3 billion plant would produce about 30,000 barrels of transportation fuels daily, with operations beginning in 2012 or 2013. Kevin Sheilley, president and CEO of Northwest Kentucky Forward, told Platts that the office of Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher has given Peabody $400,000 for the feasibility study, with Peabody expected to contribute another $1 million. For now, no completion date for the study has been set. The Peabody CTL plant is one of seven clean-coal projects proposed for the region, according to Sheilley, most of which would produce transportation fuels or synthetic natural gas. Become a CTL grassroots supporter The Coal-to-Liquids Coalition is working to build a strong network of grassroots supporters willing to contact federal and state lawmakers to voice their support for measures meant to spur the domestic production of affordable, clean-burning CTL fuels. CTL grassroots supporters can include company employees, union members, retirees, their families, friends and others spread across the country who share a personal stake in the successful launch of a domestic CTL industry. The coming months are likely to see continued congressional CTL activity; a time in which a robust CTL grassroots network can be an invaluable tool in helping to increase the bipartisan support for legislation designed to jumpstart the production of ultra-clean CTL fuels. To become a grassroots supporter visit: http://www.capitolconnect.com/futurecoalfuels/. As CTL fuel developments transpire in 2007, be sure to regularly visit FutureCoalFuels.org for the latest news and information and learn how you can help strengthen America's energy future. If you wish to unsubscribe from the CTL update e-mail service, please click here. _______________________________________________ EC mailing list EC(a)osenergy.org http://osenergy.org/mailman/listinfo/ec

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Re: [EC] two emails from National concerning Intervention
by Grubb, Karen 26 Jul '07

26 Jul '07

Let's have a phone conference Friday, July 27 at 7:00 p.m. to start the plan for intervention. If you cannot make this time please let me know beforehand. Karen 1 (866) 501-6174 Conference Code: 1005700 ________________________________ From: Stephen M. Walker [mailto:stephenwalkeresq@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 11:02 PM To: Grubb, Karen Cc: James Kotcon; Barbara Fallon; Jonathan Rosenbaum Subject: Re: two emails from National concerning Intervention I'm available pretty much any time this week. Steve On 7/23/07, Grubb, Karen <kgrubb(a)fairmontstate.edu > wrote: I am leaving this weekend and will be gone for a week. Who wants to have a phone conference this week to get started on the plan? I spoke with David Herring last Friday and just sent that form, too. Below are the two emails from Erin Chalmers. Karen ----------------------------------------------------- From: Erin.Chalmers(a)sierraclub.org [mailto: Erin.Chalmers(a)sierraclub.org <mailto:Erin.Chalmers@sierraclub.org> ] Sent: Wed 6/27/2007 8:09 PM To: william.depaulo(a)gmail.com; pjgrunt(a)gmail.com; Grubb, Karen; jkotcon(a)wvu.edu Subject: Allegheny Transmission Line intervention Hi Bill and all, On behalf of the national Sierra Club, the WV chapter has authorization to intervene in the PSC hearing in the Allegheny transmission line case. It looks like a great issue and I'm glad the chapter is taking it on! I think this case presents many opportunities and also some difficult issues. You all are obviously already working with other chapters and groups on the larger issue, but to the extent I can be of assistance in getting resources, please let me know. For instance, I may be able to find testimony from other PSC hearings that addresses the true costs of coal or potential rate savings from efficiency. In terms of issues, my concern on this case is mostly financial - as you well know, the chapter will have to decide how much it can put into the case and plan accordingly. Bill has generously offered to carry out this case on a reduced fee basis. My understanding from talking with Bill today is that he expects the chapter to make good faith efforts to raise funds to pay for part of his time but that there is no specific fee cap or arrangement. Because you are a chapter member, Bill, I'm sure you'll work closely with Karen and others to make sure they understand how much time you are putting in and how much payment you expect. I bring this up just because I have seen similarly lax fee arrangements go awry in other cases, and I don't want any surprises for the chapter or for Bill down the road. So I strongly encourage Karen and the chapter to work very closely with Bill and to make sure he is comfortable with what the chapter is raising for funds for him. The new matter form I received noted that $5000 would be allotted to legal expenses - I don't believe this was expected to be a fee cap of any sort, but rather just an estimate of possible and reasonable costs that the chapter would fund as needed. Again, I expect that Karen and Bill, and others, will work out their expectations as to paying for Bill's time. An little work now in terms of figuring out your funding expectations is worth it to avoid big headaches later. I have seen big fights in chapters over fee issues and just want to make sure that doesn't happen here. As another reminder, any settlement (which doesn't seem likely at this point) would require separate national authorization. Also, please keep me informed of any major developments in the case and feel free to ask if you have any questions I might be able to help with. Best of luck and thanks for your hard work on this issue! thanks, Erin Erin Chalmers Environmental Law Fellow Sierra Club Environmental Law Program 85 Second St., 2nd Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 977-5765 phone (415) 977-5793 fax ----------------------------------------------------- From: James Kotcon [mailto: jkotcon(a)wvu.edu <mailto:jkotcon@wvu.edu> ] Sent: Tue 6/26/2007 10:00 AM To: Grubb, Karen; Erin.Chalmers(a)sierraclub.org Cc: Fallon, Barbara; Paul Wilson; 'Dave Muhly'; Glen Besa; Peter.Martin(a)sierraclub.org; 'James Kotcon' Subject: RE: Allegheny Transmission line deadline - WVPSC Intervention Thanks for the leads. We (I) have already contacted Synapse, as they worked with us on the Longview case. Unfortunately, they have already been retained by other state parties, and due to the potential conflict of interest, are unable to assist us. I will follow up with the other leads. JBK >>> <Erin.Chalmers(a)sierraclub.org> 6/25/2007 8:49 PM >>> Hi Jim, Karen and all, Thanks for the detailed new matter form that Paul just sent. I wanted to get back to you with some potential financial and expert resources for this case. First, it looks like the national law program is interested in contributing up to about $3000 toward the case. This case fits well with our ongoing energy work, so we'd love to support it. Also, you may have already tried, but if not, it might be worth your while to ask the Club's national Global Warming and Smart Energy Committee - Joan Saxe is chair. I have no idea if they have money, but they might have either money or interest in helping in other ways (finding other resources, helping with media, etc). Ditto with the Sustainable Planet Strategy Team. I'll also alert our media dept that this is happening, and they might be able to offer some assistance as well in the form of advising, writing press releases or looking over ones you have. Second, I have a couple potential leads for expert witness/analysis help. 1) Synapse Energy Consultants. We have used them before in other cases, including in Florida. We have worked with David Schlissel (tell him Kristin Henry referred you) before, who was very good. Their website is: http://www.synapse-energy.com/aboutus/ 2) ACEEE: http://www.aceee.org/ We don't have a specific contact there, but they may be able to help 3) HP Energy Associates, in Massachusetts - Hale Powell is the contact, who we have worked with before. hpenergy(a)aol.com 978-392-8442 Folks in our office also recommended that you might be able to get more bang for your buck if you were able to partner with a local university who could then work with one or more of the experts. The hired expert could do some big picture research and could potentially assign some discrete tasks to university researchers, thus stretching your money as well as getting more local buy-in and support. Lastly, I attached a memo one of our interns recently compiled - it lists existing research and papers addressing costs and other issues of demand-side management and energy efficiency. Some of those reports could be helpful. thanks, and I'll work with Jim DePaulo to get national authorization in time for him to file on the chapter's behalf, Erin (this is a report mentioned in the other attachment that can't be easily found online) Erin Chalmers Environmental Law Fellow Sierra Club Environmental Law Program 85 Second St., 2nd Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 977-5765 phone (415) 977-5793 fax

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Fwd: wind power siting
by James Kotcon 26 Jul '07

26 Jul '07

You may find the attached interesting. I did a quick scan of the siting standards, and they appear to be useful, but are still pretty vague, and they have almost no wildlife (bird or bat) impact requirements, which is one of our major issues in WV. I am not sure they will resolve the controversy, and I would like some more specifics in the standards, as these seem more oriented toward a "process' for siting, rather than specific technical requirements that need to be met. Still it is a step forward and a useful tool if we get into other wind farm debates. JBK >>> Paula Carrell <Paula.Carrell(a)sierraclub.org> 7/19/2007 3:43 PM >>> 2. Wind Power Siting The Kansas Eneryg Council in April 2005 established guidelines for county use in siting wind power generators. The Sierra Club Kansas Chapter's Energy Chair, Bill Griffith, says, "Overall the standards avoid politics and stick with science and with those values a particular community holds dear. We have reviewed the Kansas guidelines and support them as a fairly decent siting handbook." The Kansas guidelines can be accessed at http://www.kansasenergy.org/KEC/documents/wind_siting_handbook.pdf If any other state has adopted wind siting guidance that you would recommend, please let Paula know.

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Fwd: Fw: July 25 FutureCoalFuels.org Update
by James Kotcon 26 Jul '07

26 Jul '07

Anybody want to go to Beckley to picket this event? With the right preparation, we might get a lot of press to help nip this industry in the bud. At a minimum, they should know that there is opposition, even in West Virginia. JBK >>> "Donald Strimbeck" <dcsoinks(a)comcast.net> 7/25/2007 11:05 AM >>> Untitled Donald C. Strimbeck, Secretary Upper Monongahela River Association Incorporated 109 Broad Street, P.O. Box 519 Granville, WV 26534-0519 304-599-7585 (Fax:4131) Email: dcsoinks(a)comcast.net http://www.uppermon.org http://www.monriversummit.org ----- Original Message ----- From: info futurecoalfuels To: dcsoinks(a)comcast.net Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 10:15 AM Subject: July 25 FutureCoalFuels.org Update FutureCoalFuels.org Update July 25, 2007 In this update: Coal-to-Liquids Coalition to host major CTL conference in West Virginia Rep. Barton emphasizes need for domestic CTL fuels in House energy bill DOE highlights need for domestic CTL fuels in Sacramento Bee House approves bill funding Ohio CTL studies Peabody Energy considering CTL plant in western Kentucky Become a CTL grassroots supporter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coal-to-Liquids Coalition to host major CTL conference in West Virginia The Coal-to-Liquids Coalition will host a major conference Aug. 14-15 in Beckley, W.Va., that will highlight the significant energy security, economic and environmental benefits America stands to gain by jumpstarting production of clean, domestic coal-to-liquid (CTL) transportation fuels. The conference will feature the latest information on the outlook for domestically produced CTL fuels by U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.) U.S. Air Force Undersecretary Dr. Ronald M. Sega, Assistant Air Force Secretary William Anderson, as well as presentations from leading industry, financial and labor experts. Among the speakers scheduled to participate in the conference are United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts, Pat Esposito, energy advisor to West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) and Peabody Energy Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Fred Palmer. The conference will also include a luncheon presentation by Lt. Col. Daniel Millman, who conducted B-52 testing of Fischer-Tropsch fuels for the Air Force in 2006. Col. Millman will detail his experience flying aircraft powered by fuels made using the same process that will be used to produce domestic CTL fuels. "The Coal-to-Liquids Coalition is proud to host this conference that will spotlight how CTL fuels can play a vital role in creating a new energy future for America," said National Mining Association President and CEO Kraig R. Naasz. "On behalf of the coalition, I urge those interested in learning how CTL fuels can put America on a path to energy independence to attend and learn more from leading military, industry, labor and government representatives on the many benefits offered by domestic CTL fuels." To register and learn more about the conference, please visit: www.ctlconference2007.org or contact Corey Henry at chenry(a)futurecoalfuels.org. Rep. Barton emphasizes need for domestic CTL fuels in House energy bill House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Joe Barton (R-Texas) recently expressed dismay that the House of Representatives may soon consider energy legislation that does not contain incentives meant to jumpstart the production of clean, domestic coal-to-liquid (CTL) transportation fuels. Speaking at an energy forum hosted by Congressional Quarterly, Barton stressed that coal is "our most abundant natural resource.and we ought to use it." Barton lamented that energy legislation the House could consider in the next two weeks as currently drafted is an "energy bill that has no energy in it." Barton said that the abundance of coal in the U.S. is what makes CTL fuels "so attractive," saying "politically [CTL] has to be in the mix" if the House stands any chance of advancing comprehensive energy legislation. John Ward, vice president of marketing and government affairs for Headwaters Inc., participated in a panel discussion with representatives from leading energy producing and using organizations and detailed how congressional support for CTL fuels is needed to begin reducing America's growing reliance on oil imported from unstable parts of the world. Headwaters Inc. is a member of the Coal-to-Liquids Coalition (CTLC) and is actively engaged in efforts to construct the first fleet of CTL facilities in the United States. Ward also noted that the construction and operation of domestic CTL facilities will create thousands of new, high-paying jobs across the nation. He stressed that domestically made CTL fuels will help reduce the flow of billions of dollars American consumers send to hostile and unstable nations. In addition, Ward stressed that federal studies have demonstrated that in comparison to the fuels they will replace, CTL fuels will be as clean, or cleaner, in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, while substantially reducing emissions of harmful pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter "On behalf of the CTLC, I want to thank John Ward and Rep. Barton for so clearly making the case for federal support of incentives that would accelerate domestic CTL production and help put America on the road to energy independence," said National Mining Association President and CEO Kraig R. Naasz. "America's future economic prosperity and national security hinge on allowing domestic CTL fuels to lead the way toward breaking our addiction to foreign oil." DOE highlights need for domestic CTL fuels in Sacramento Bee A senior U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) official earlier this month emphasized the urgent need to begin production of clean, domestic coal-to-liquid (CTL) transportation fuels, citing the energy security and environmental gains America can realize through production and use of domestic CTL fuels. "Energy security means having reliable, affordable and environmentally sound sources of energy available largely from domestic sources," wrote Lowell Miller, director of DOE's Office of Sequestration, Hydrogen and Clean Coal Fuels in a July 13 Sacramento Bee opinion piece. "Coal fits the bill." As crude oil prices appear likely to remain in the $50-60 range for the foreseeable future, "coal-derived fuels can provide a highly competitive and clean supplement to oil-derived fuels, substantially reducing the need for imported oil and thereby increasing energy security," said Miller. "The chemical-industrial process for extracting ultra-clean diesel fuel, jet fuel and other products from coal has been around for decades, but only in recent years have advances in technology and the steep increase in the price of oil combined to make "coal-to-liquids" an attractive part of the solution to our pressing energy security and environmental concerns," wrote Miller. Miller noted that a recent report from the National Coal Council estimates that America's coal supply could produce 2.6 million barrels per day of coal-derived fuels and highlighted that the Air Force has already "successfully tested blends of coal-derived jet fuel in its planes." Miller emphasized that technological innovations are helping to make coal use increasingly clean. "Carbon sequestration and other emissions-reduction technologies can be applied to coal-to-liquids plants, and the primary product, ultra-clean diesel fuel, is far cleaner than any diesel fuel or gasoline in use today," Miller wrote. As various legislative proposals have been and will continue to be considered on Capitol Hill, Miller said efforts are under across the country to begin constructing the first fleet of CTL plants. "While the legislative wheels grind, developers are working on coal-to-liquids plans with the governors and governments of Alaska, Montana, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Louisiana." Miller also noted that America's economic competitors are racing ahead with plans to produce CTL fuels. "China.expects to be producing 20,000 barrels of fuel daily from its first coal-to-liquids plant before the year is out," said Miller. "When planned expansion is complete, the plant will produce 200,000 barrels of fuel a day. This is only the first shot in a massive, $127 billion coal liquefaction campaign by the Chinese." Miller also pointed to CTL production plans in Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand and noted that India's government is actively studying CTL fuel production. A complete copy of Miller's opinion piece is available here. House approves bill funding Ohio CTL studies The U.S. House of Representatives last week approved a fiscal year 2008 appropriations bill that contains $2.25 million to study the technologies that could be used by a CTL plant Baard Energy plans on constructing in southeast Ohio. A total of $1 million has been set aside to support a carbon sequestration scoping study meant to identify major geologic sites in Ohio suitable for underground carbon dioxide storage, while another $250,000 would be used to study the carbon life cycle of coal-based transportation fuel. The remaining $1 million would finance a northeastern Ohio pipeline study. Construction of the Baard facility is expected to result in 4,000 jobs over the four years of expected construction and generate $31 million in income southeast Ohio. Peabody Energy considering CTL plant in western Kentucky Platts Coal Trader reported on July 6 that a CTL project under consideration by Peabody Energy for construction in Union County, Ky., is in the "very preliminary" stages, with its future likely to be decided by the results of a soon-to-be completed feasibility study. Platts reported that the $3 billion plant would produce about 30,000 barrels of transportation fuels daily, with operations beginning in 2012 or 2013. Kevin Sheilley, president and CEO of Northwest Kentucky Forward, told Platts that the office of Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher has given Peabody $400,000 for the feasibility study, with Peabody expected to contribute another $1 million. For now, no completion date for the study has been set. The Peabody CTL plant is one of seven clean-coal projects proposed for the region, according to Sheilley, most of which would produce transportation fuels or synthetic natural gas. Become a CTL grassroots supporter The Coal-to-Liquids Coalition is working to build a strong network of grassroots supporters willing to contact federal and state lawmakers to voice their support for measures meant to spur the domestic production of affordable, clean-burning CTL fuels. CTL grassroots supporters can include company employees, union members, retirees, their families, friends and others spread across the country who share a personal stake in the successful launch of a domestic CTL industry. The coming months are likely to see continued congressional CTL activity; a time in which a robust CTL grassroots network can be an invaluable tool in helping to increase the bipartisan support for legislation designed to jumpstart the production of ultra-clean CTL fuels. To become a grassroots supporter visit: http://www.capitolconnect.com/futurecoalfuels/. As CTL fuel developments transpire in 2007, be sure to regularly visit FutureCoalFuels.org for the latest news and information and learn how you can help strengthen America's energy future. If you wish to unsubscribe from the CTL update e-mail service, please click here.

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AUTOMATIC FORWARDING OF PLEADINGS IN TRAIL CASE AT W VA PSC
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 24 Jul '07

24 Jul '07

I HAVE PUT A FILTER ON MY EMAIL TO AUTOMATE THE FORWARDING TO ec(a)osenergy.org OF ALL EMAIL UPDATES I RECEIVE FROM THE PSC BY VIRTUE OF BEING ON THE SERVICE LIST FOR THE TRAIL PROCEEDING. AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS LIKELY TO GENERATE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF EMAIL. THERE WERE 16 MESSAGES IN MY EMAIL BOX AT THE TIME I CREATED THE FILTER. I DON'T KNOW IF ALL OF YOU WILL WANT TO RECEIVE THE UPDATES, OR NOT. IF YOU DON'T PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL TAKE SOME STEPS TO CREATE A NEW LIST. THE LIST AT ec(a)osenergy.org IS THE DISTRIBUTION ON THIS FORWARDING. ALSO COULD SOMEBODY PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHO ALL IS ON THE LIST AT ec(a)osenergy.org ? THANKS. BILL -- William V. DePaulo, Esq. 179 Summers Street, Suite 232 Charleston, WV 25301-2163 Tel: 304-342-5588 Fax: 304-342-5505 william.depaulo(a)gmail.com www.passeggiata.com

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[PSC Docket] Activity on PSC Case 07-0508-E-CN(Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Company)
by WV Public Service Commission 24 Jul '07

24 Jul '07

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[PSC Docket] Activity on PSC Case 07-0508-E-CN(Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Company)
by WV Public Service Commission 24 Jul '07

24 Jul '07

1 0

[PSC Docket] Activity on PSC Case 07-0508-E-CN(Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Company)
by WV Public Service Commission 24 Jul '07

24 Jul '07

1 0

[PSC Docket] Activity on PSC Case 07-0508-E-CN(Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Company)
by WV Public Service Commission 24 Jul '07

24 Jul '07

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