Bush: Coal part of U.S. energy future

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va., July 31 (UPI) -- Coal should play an important role in producing electricity to help the United States achieve energy security, U.S. President George Bush said.

"Coal is affordable, and coal is available right here in the United Sates of America," Bush said Thursday in an address to the West Virginia Coal Association at The Greenbrier, a resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. "Coal allows us to keep our prices reasonable, and it provides jobs."

Bush said about $2.5 billion has been invested in clean coal research since he's been in office, adding that he's requested nearly $650 million in the budget for advanced coal research to develop technology to capture carbon dioxide emissions from coal.

Even though his presidency is drawing to a close, "I'm going to sprint to the finish," Bush said. "And part of that sprint to the finish will be to continue to remind the American people that we need to be realistic and have common sense about today's energy needs and tomorrow's energy needs."

He repeated his call for Congress to take up proposals to open environmentally sensitive areas to oil exploration, as well as his desire to explore alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and nuclear.

"We need a variety of sources of power in order to deal with the problems today," said Bush, "and as importantly send the signal that the future's going to be viable for people, that there's going to be plenty of electricity."