CHARLESTON, W.Va.--As President Barack Obama's stimulus plan gains traction in Congress, Sen. Jay Rockefeller wants to ensure it benefits West Virginia by including investments in clean coal technology.
Rockefeller, D-W.Va., pressed for a greater investment in clean coal during the Senate Finance Committee's confirmation hearing this week for new U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.
The senator has even been pitching his ideas for carbon capture and sequestration to Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, according to Rockefeller's office.
"The United States has more than a 250-year supply of coal, and a lot of it is mined by hard-working people in West Virginia," Rockefeller said. "As a coal state senator, I believe that there can be no serious discussions about our energy future or climate change unless we're willing to make immediate, significant and sustained investments in carbon capture and sequestration.
"Advanced coal technologies have to be part of the solution to our nation's energy independence, and should be included as part of economic stimulus."
The version of the plan passed by the House Appropriations Committee is expected to pump $825 billion into the economy. It isn't clear yet whether the existing plan includes any investments in coal.
But Rockefeller hopes clean coal is part of that equation, as he told Geithner. After the senator's remarks, the new Treasury secretary said he found Rockefeller's views on the issue compelling and agreed the nation needs to use energy more efficiently in an environmentally safe manner.
The Obama administration has given mixed signals so far when it comes to its stance on coal. Obama, whose home state of Illinois is a coal producer, was criticized by Republicans in the midst of last year's election season for comments he had made regarding coal plants.
In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle last January, Obama discussed his cap and trade proposal that aims to reduce emissions and curtail global warming.
Obama told the newspaper, "If somebody wants to build a coal power plant they can, it's just that it will bankrupt them because they are going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted."
Democrats, including West Virginia officials Gov. Joe Manchin and Sens. Rockefeller and Robert Byrd, defended Obama and said his opponents were misconstruing his comments.
Rockefeller said increased funding for coal technologies also has the potential to create jobs for West Virginians in a time when many people are on the verge of unemployment.
On Wednesday, coal mining companies and a preparation plant owned by Patriot Coal Corp. announced the shutdown of facilities in Kanawha and Boone counties, affecting about 400 jobs.
"There is no time to waste," Rockefeller said in a statement earlier this month. "Deploying advanced coal technologies will create jobs for West Virginians and people across America, and they will put our country on the path toward energy independence, which is exactly what we need to achieve if we're going to have a thriving economy again."
Obama's plan, called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, includes $550 billion in new spending and $275 billion in tax cuts.
The package includes $30 billion for highway and bridge improvements, $9.5 billion for drinking water and sewage projects, $41 billion to upgrade public schools, $24 billion to modernize health information and improve preventative care, $16 billion to repair public housing, $6 billion to weatherize homes of lower-income families, and $6 billion to expand wireless and broadband internet access in rural areas.
Congressman Alan Mollohan, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, said lawmakers needed to pass the plan swiftly.
Regarding his committee's vote, Mollohan said, "This is something that West Virginians understand all too well. We are prepared to undertake that work - to build sewer lines in our remote areas, to finish highway projects connecting our cities, to protect our river communities from floods and to repair aging schools throughout our state. This vote brings that work one critical step closer."
Mollohan noted that the legislation also provides immediate assistance to workers and families affected by the economy. The plan includes $43 billion for unemployment benefits and job training, $39 billion to help those who have lost their jobs keep healthcare coverage and $20 billion to increase food stamp benefits.
Contact writer Jake Stump at jakest...@dailymail.com or 304-348-4842.