Cleaner Burning Coal and our national security
As America begins to crawl out of the Great Recession we must begin to look at alternative energy sources such as clean burning coal to help secure our economy and borders.
Clean coal technology is at the heart of our national security interests. The perception of global scarcity in the energy market has forced the United States to place an emphasis on securing a strong domestic supply of energy and developing clean coal technology as a matter of national security. Clean coal technology is being hailed as a possible key to moving away from our reliance on foreign sources of energy. We cannot afford to continue to rely on foreign nations to supply America’s energy needs, especially when those nations pose a significant terrorist threat to Americans both home and abroad, and clean coal technology is instrumental in achieving American energy independence.
When one looks at America’s domestic energy supply the answer to our energy demand crisis becomes abundantly clear: clean-burning coal.
The United States has 27% of all global coal supply, spread out through more than two dozen states. Using cleaner-burning coal to supply America’s commercial and residential needs offers the opportunity to wean us off foreign energy supplies, which suffer from uncertainty in the supply chain as well as price volatility.
An example of where cleaner burning coal can be used to service our domestic market is Coal-to-Liquid-Technology (CTL). Coal Liquefaction or Coal-to-Liquid is a technology that is currently being used throughout the world including India and China, both global emerging markets. Coal-to-Liquid technology’s use in the U.S. domestic market is currently minimal. Nevertheless, as Montana has demonstrated, the potential to use cleaner burning coal in CTL offers the opportunity to capitalize on the United States’ abundant coal reserves and invest in an established alternative to foreign energy supplies.
Montana is well known for its low sulfur content coal, otherwise known as cleaner burning coal. The use of Montana’s substantial reserves of cleaner burning coal for CTL is being championed by its Governor, Brian Schweitzer, as one of the answers to the United States’ energy challenges.
As the leading national proponent for Coal-to-Liquid, Governor Schweitzer recognizes that capital investment in infrastructure and technology through a public-private partnership in CTL, using Montana’s clean coal, has the potential to yield a windfall for the state and a high profit margin for investors.
America’s national security interests and its economic vitality are and will remain entwined for the foreseeable future. At the heart of this symbiotic relationship is a secure domestic energy supply. Reducing our reliance on foreign energy sources will help stem the fears of scarcity and allow American innovation and entrepreneurship to lead our country’s economic recovery and return to our rightful place as the leader of the global economy. At the heart of creating this secure energy supply must be clean coal technology. Converting clean coal mined from states such as Montana through Coal-to-Liquid technology is a viable alternative in meeting our energy demands and must be at the center of our future energy supply strategy.