§13334 Nonfuel use of coal

Summary

The Secretary must create and run a program to research, test, and bring to market ways to use coal for things other than burning it. The program covers five areas: (1) making coke and other carbon products from coal; (2) making coal-based chemical building blocks for value-added chemicals and plastics; (3) making chemicals from coal-derived synthesis gas; (4) treating coal (for example, solvent-extraction) to make cleaner raw materials; and (5) using coal wastes like sulfur, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and ash to make products. The plan must study and evaluate seven things: (1) known and possible processes for making products for the chemical, utility, fuel, and carbon-materials industries; (2) the costs, benefits, and economic feasibility of coal products in the chemical and materials industries; (3) the economics of making products at the same time as producing electricity, heat, or fuel; (4) the economics of refining coal and coal byproducts into nonfuel products; (5) how coal compares economically to other raw materials; (6) steps government and industry can take to commercialize the technologies; and (7) the past development, current status, and future potential of coal products and processes for nonfuel uses.