Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., on Tuesday announced that federal investments in coal technology may receive a significant funding boost as the Senate Appropriations Committee completed its portion of the economic stimulus and recovery package that is now moving through Congress, according to a release.

“Clean, carbon-neutral coal can be a ‘green’ energy,” Byrd said in the release. “As Congress strives to develop a national energy policy that will break our dependence on foreign oil, it is crucial to ensure that coal, burned in cleaner more efficient ways, is part of our nation’s diverse energy mix for the future. These investments will help to bolster West Virginia’s economic future.”

Byrd, who is the senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, worked to support $4.6 billion for the following coal projects:

$2 billion for near-zero emissions power plants designed to capture and sequester carbon dioxide.

$1 billion for Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI). Senator Byrd is the father of the clean coal technology program which is operated by National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) located in Morgantown, W.Va, and Pittsburgh, Pa.

$1.52 billion for carbon capture at industrial plants.
The economic stimulus and recovery package will now be sent to the Senate floor for debate and votes by the full Senate.