John Blair, writing an opinion column in the Evansville Courier Press, adds an issue to the seemingly endless number about which I know too little to make an informed evaluation.
As I understand the allegations, the gas market has shifted. Where once making synthetic gas out of coal may have made some marginal economic sense, new developments in the natural gas market have made natural gas so much cheaper that manufacturing synthetic gas out of coal makes absolutely no economic sense and it emits more CO2 than natural gas. The Gasification lobby ran to the legislature and, per Mr. Blair:
Our pro-coal legislature readily agreed with a measure that puts the state in the business of buying all the syngas production and forces gas utilities to pass it along to Hoosier customers, who would then pay a premium for the privilege of using coal-derived gas instead of natural gas.
This would seem to merit further attention. Comments from those knowledgeable on the subject would certainly be welcome.
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