U.S. Sen. Allard secures $1 million for Colorado Center for Sustainable Energy

June 26, 2007 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy & Water Development, announced today that he has secured $1 million in funding for the Colorado Center for Sustainable Energy at the Colorado School of Mines as a part of the 2008 Energy & Water Appropriations bill.

“The Colorado Center for Sustainable Energy will encourage collaboration with individuals and groups at other research universities around the state,” said Allard. “In addition, the existing Memorandum of Understanding between the School of Mines and the National Renewable Energy Laboratories will provide NREL scientists with access to students and junior researchers at a reasonable cost. There is tremendous opportunity for collaboration among research at both institutions and I am pleased that the funding I have secured will help to move that work forward.”

“We applaud Senator Allard for his vision and leadership in the critical task of seeking sustainable energy solutions,” said Colorado School of Mines President Bill Scoggins. “We appreciate his confidence in the expertise, research capabilities and problem-solving track record of Mines and look forward to working closely with Senator Allard and his staff on this and other projects.”

The purpose of the Center will be to provide additional research and development which direct domestic fossil energy resources toward the generation of syngas through coal gasification and the subsequent reaction of syngas with steam to produce synthetic clean fuels and CO2 for enhanced oil recovery or sequestration. Additional research will be conducted to develop hybrid fuel systems such as the use of natural gas with wind and compressed air systems to meet peak loads and the addition of biomass to coal gasification plants to develop systems which result in negative carbon emissions.

Allard said the funding was approved today by the subcommittee. The full committee is expected to approve the funding bill on Thursday.