Rehberg Adds Coal-to-Liquid-Fuel Refinery Incentives to Follow-up Energy Bill

Rehberg Adds Coal-to-Liquid-Fuel Refinery Incentives to Follow-up Energy Bill
September 29, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana's Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has added a key legislative provision to encourage the building of a new coal-to-liquid-fuels (CTLF) refinery, possibly in Montana. During yesterday's Energy and Commerce markup on the second Energy Bill, Rehberg partnered with Congressman John Shimkus (R-IL) to include an amendment that redefines "refineries" to include CTLF, so that any new incentives for the construction of refineries includes this clean, efficient alternative source of fuel based on this abundant domestic resource.

"I'm serious about making coal-to-liquids happen. I'm sick and tired of the U.S. buying its energy from other countries. It's time to buy American, and there's no better place to start buying American than in Montana. That's why I'm committed to doing everything I can to see that Montana is fully prepared to compete for the next generation of energy production. It's probably now time for the state of Montana to begin putting together its own energy plan, much like we've done on the federal level, and I'm committed to working with state officials to do just that. Which means we need to look at not only increasing the number of refineries in this country, but also at expanding the types of refineries," Rehberg, a House Appropriations Committee member, said. "One type we need to encourage is coal-to-liquid-fuels refineries, which can produce cleaner-burning, sulfur-free transportation fuel using an abundant domestic energy resource."

Earlier this week, Rehberg met a second time with representatives of a South African firm interested in building a CTLF refinery in the U.S., possibly Montana. The refinery would employ more than 2,000 people, representatives of South African oil, gas and chemicals group Sasol, Ltd. Sasol currently operates the world's only commercial coal-to-liquids refinery, in Secunda, South Africa. The language Rehberg and Shimkus included in the new Energy bill will make it easier for companies like Sasol to do business in Montana.

"The language we added will give any of these new facilities that are built in Montana the same access to streamlined permitting," Rehberg explained. "Montana has the coal, we've got the manpower, we're ready to see a coal-to-liquids facility built in our state. The expanded refinery tax incentives we included in the second Energy Bill will certainly encourage that."

Rehberg today met with Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman urging his support of the CTLF concept. Bodman told Rehberg he studied the CTLF process as a student in college.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/mt00_rehberg/092905_LiquidCoalRefinery.html