Put brakes on pricey plans to convert coal to car fuel

Now that food prices are jumping in part because so much of the nation’s corn crop is being diverted to ethanol production, the latest bright idea in Washington is to turn coal into car fuels.

The idea has surface appeal. The United States has more than a quarter of the world’s coal reserves, making it a tempting replacement for imported oil. Congress is pondering a range of coal-to-fuel subsidies, loan guarantees and mandates as an answer to the nation’s energy woes.


Now the only task is to identify what question this process, known as coal liquefaction, is the answer to. Perhaps the question is: How can members of Congress show their lack of concern for global warming? Or perhaps it is: Should Big Coal get the same kinds of largesse showered on Big Corn?

The liquefaction process