HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 88
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and Delegates Staton, Browning,
Amores, Armstead, Azinger, Beane, Brown, Campbell, Craig, Ennis,
Evans, Flanigan, Harrison, Hatfield, Keener, Kominar, Leach,
Louisos, Manchin, Mezzatesta, Michael, Morgan, Perry, J. Smith,
Spencer, Stephens, R. Thompson, Varner, Walters, Webb, Webster,
Williams, Wills, Wright and Yeager)
[Introduced April 12, 2001; referred to the
Committee on Rules.]
Recognizing the importance of coal-based synthetic fuel producers
to the citizens of the State of West Virginia and encouraging
the President and Congress to continue to support the efforts
to produce coal-based synfuel.
Whereas, The United States is experiencing numerous activities
symptomatic of major energy crises; and
Whereas, The residents of the State of California have been the
first Americans to discover the harmful economic effects of the
absence of an energy policy, including electricity blackouts and
skyrocketing electricity prices; and
Whereas, Congress recognized the potential for such an energy
crisis and set into motion a number of initiatives intended to
identify our Nation's energy sources, including sources of
synthetic energy; and
Whereas, The United States passed The Energy Act of 1980, including major tax credits in Section 29 of the U.S. Code to
encourage synthetic fuel production; and
Whereas, One of the most significant tax credits applies to the
process of producing synthetic fuels from coal-based sources; and
Whereas, The State of West Virginia has a history and a future
as a primary source of high quality, high BTU, bituminous coal; and
Whereas, The Nation's major energy producers, recognizing West
Virginia's coal production capabilities, have elected to locate a
number of synthetic fuel production facilities in the Mountain
State; and
Whereas, These synthetic fuel plants have resulted in thousands
of new jobs for West Virginians working directly in the plants,
mining coal to feed these plants, and working in machine shops and
other trades that support the mining of coal and the production of
synfuel; and
Whereas, The positive impact on the West Virginia economy as a
direct result of the presence of coal-based synthetic fuel plants
can be measured in the hundreds of millions of dollars per year;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the West Virginia Legislature:
That the West Virginia Legislature hereby announces its
support for coal-based synthetic fuel production in our great state; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Legislature hereby encourages more
coal-based synfuel producers to locate in West Virginia to help
solve the Nation's serious energy needs; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Legislature urges the President of
the United States and the West Virginia Congressional Delegation to
work diligently to help insure the continuation of tax credits and
other incentives for the production of coal-based synthetic fuels
in the Mountain State through the year 2007 and beyond; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to furnish
a copy of this resolution to President George W. Bush, United
States Senators Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, Members of
Congress Nick J. Rahall, Alan B. Mollohan and Shelly M. Capito, and
the Chief Executive Officers of coal-based synthetic fuel producers
Electric Fuels Corporation, Massey Energy Company, Inc. and USX
Corporation.