Manchins Coal-to-Liquids Energy Plan Gets Little Support

Excerpted from an Oct. 26, 2007, Charleston Gazette article by Ken Ward Jr.

Gov. Joe Manchins proposed state energy plan received little support again Thursday at the last of three Public Energy Authority hearings.

Residents repeatedly attacked Manchins blueprint for its focus on increasing coal production by building plants to turn coal into liquid fuel.

"I really dont want to encourage any more coal production, and that seems to be your sole objective," said Don Gasper, a retired state biologist and member of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy board.

Gasper was among more than 50 people who turned out for the Charleston hearing, hosted by the PEA and the new state Division of Energy.

Only Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association, spoke specifically in favor of Manchins focus on building coal-to-liquids plants.

Raney praised the formation of a state energy plan, especially with the coal industry "under siege" by environmental group lawsuits and proposals to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

Thursdays hearing focused on the heart of Manchins energy plan: A proposal to "displace" 1.3 billion gallons of annual state oil consumption a cut of about 60 percent by 2030. The governor wants, and his plan proposes, to meet two-thirds of that goal by replacing oil with liquid fuel made from coal.

The plan proposes to build 10 liquid coal plants. Feeding those plants would require a 15 percent increase in yearly state coal production, the plan says.

Vickie Wolfe of South Charleston explained that liquid fuels made from coal are less efficient than gasoline or diesel fuel (and) burning liquid coal in vehicles would still produce more carbon dioxide emissions than petroleum-based fuels, even if scientists find a good way to capture and bury emissions from the conversion plants themselves.

Wolfe also cited polling data that shows few Americans support coal-to-liquid proposals and that West Virginians oppose mountaintop removal by a 2-to-1 margin.

Mingo County resident (and OVEC member) Brenda McCoy gave each PEA member a sample jar of her familys blackened water that she said was polluted by coal slurry that was injected underground.