{
  "id": "RL32790",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL32790",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 315476,
      "date": "2005-06-10",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T19:42:13.407029",
      "title": "Major Coal Issues in the 109th Congress",
      "summary": "Major legislative issues related to coal in the 109th Congress include coal and energy security,\nclean\nair and environmental concerns, funding strategies for technology R&D, loan guarantees for\ncoal\ngasification projects, and the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) program. \n \n The Administration anticipates a long-term reliance on coal because of its relatively low-cost\nabundance. Coal supplies 22% of U.S. energy demand but over 50% of the energy used by the\nelectric power sector. The Energy Information Administration forecasts electricity consumption to\ngrow by 1.9% per year through 2025. The increase will largely be met by new coal-fired or natural\ngas-fired power plants.\n \n By mandating significant reductions in three pollutants emitted by coal-fired electric generating\nunits, proposed Clear Skies legislation ( S. 131 ) could have significant impact on coal\nproduction and distribution, if enacted. When Clear Skies was introduced in the 108th Congress, the\nEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted an analysis of its effects on the coal industry.\nWhile the analysis indicated growth in coal production for electric utility production (from 905\nmillion tons in 2000 to 998 million tons in 2020), coal generation\u2019s share of the 2020\ngeneration mix\nwas projected to decline from 46% to 44%. Clear Skies legislation, however, faces an uncertain\nfuture. In March 2005, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee killed S.  131\non a 9-9 vote.\n \n In FY2002, President Bush initiated the Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) focusing on\nadvanced coal combustion technology for removal of SOx, NOx, mercury, and fine particulate\nmatter and carbon sequestration. The CCPI is a 10-year, $2 billion government-industry cost sharing\nprogram. The FY2006 funding request for Fossil Energy R&D is heavily weighted towards\nclean\ncoal technology, potentially at the expense of other fossil technologies -- such as natural gas or\npetroleum technology R&D.\n \n Legislation in the 109th Congress for an omnibus energy bill ( H.R. 6 ) was approved\nby the House on April 21, 2005. H.R.  6 includes provisions for coal nearly identical to the\n H.R. 6  conference report filed in the 108th Congress. Within the CCPI section there\nwould be loan guarantees for specific integrated gasification combined cycle projects. The Senate\nCommittee on Energy and Natural Resources approved its version of the bill ( S. 10 ) on\nMay 26, 2005.\n \n Authorization for collection of AML fees was scheduled to expire at the end of FY2004 and was\nextended nine months to the end of June 2005 by the Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2005\n( P.L. 108-447 ). Subsequently,  H.R. 1268  ( P.L. 109-13 ) a supplemental appropriations\nbill for FY2005, extended AML authorization to the end of FY2005. In its FY2006 budget\nsubmission for the Office of Surface Mining, the Administration once again proposed the changes\nin the AML program included with the FY2005 budget, this time seeking a $58 million increase in\nthe appropriation for the fund. This report will be updated.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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      "topics": []
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  ],
  "topics": [
    "Appropriations",
    "Energy Policy",
    "Environmental Policy"
  ]
}