Over half of U.S. electricity is currently generated by burning coal. Congress asked the National Research Council to recommend research priorities in coal mining and processing, to specify budget levels needed for this R&D, and to describe the range of national and global issues that may affect coal use in coming decades.
COAL: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY outlines priority R&D needs in a variety of areas -- from health and safety to environmental impacts to mining productivity -- and the amount of federal funding needed for this research. The report also assesses projections of U.S. coal use over the next several decades, discusses the potential impact that regulations on carbon emissions could have on that use, and looks at the adequacy of existing estimates of the nation's coal supplies.
Advance copies of this Research Council report will be available to reporters only starting at 3 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 19. THE REPORT IS EMBARGOED AND NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE BEFORE 10 A.M. EDT ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20.
Members of the committee that wrote the report will discuss their findings at a one-hour public briefing at 10 a.m. on June 20 in Room 150 of the National Academies building, 2100 C St., N.W., Washington, D.C. The briefing will not be webcast, but a recording will be available later at www.national-academies.org.
REPORTERS: OBTAIN A COPY OF THE REPORT OR REGISTER TO ATTEND THE BRIEFING by contacting the National Academies' Office of News and Public Information, tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail news@nas.edu.