Energy official: Making fuel from coal looks promising

High oil prices make it possible to turn a profit in making liquid fuel from coal, and a nascent federal loan guarantee program may help lessen the financial risk, a U.S. Energy Department official says.

“Coal to liquids is not so much of a technology … problem, as it is an economic risk issue,” said Jeffrey Jarrett, the department’s assistant secretary for fossil energy. “The issue is whether or not a coal-to-liquids facility can be commercially competitive with world oil prices.”

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