from the U.S. Energy Secretary

Earlier this week President Obama’s Energy Secretary went before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Steven Chu was encouraging the continued use of coal as an energy source and also spoke of the United States needing to support continued investment into advanced coal technologies.

“We must also invest in the improvement of existing sources of energy that will provide a bridge between current and future technologies. These technologies are already a major segment of the energy mix and will play a critical role in providing a solid foundation that will make possible the creation of a new energy economy … The world will continue to rely on coal-fired electrical generation to meet energy demand. It is imperative that the United States develop the technology to ensure that base-load electricity generation is as clean and reliable as possible … The United States has 25 percent of the world’s coal reserves …”