The US Department of Energy announced in July the selection of ten projects aimed at developing advanced technologies for capturing CO2 from coal combustion. The projects, valued at up to US$67 million over three years, focus on reducing the energy and efficiency penalties associated with applying currently available carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies to existing and new power plants.

Nathan Vanderklippe from the Globe and Mail interviewed Jim Carter, the former president of oil sands miner Syncrude Canada Ltd, about Alberta's CCS plans.

French supermajor Total inaugurated a carbon capture facility in the south of France that could remove more than 120,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Total hailed its $85.6 million end-to-end carbon capture, transportation and storage demonstration facility in Lacq as Europe's first such project.

Jim Letourneau's "Big Picture Speculator" blog. The blog gives his opinion on Alberta's CCS funding for Enhanced Oil Recovery.

Clean energy solutions provider Rentech has signed a memorandum of understanding with 13 domestic and international passenger and cargo carriers that is intended to serve as a framework for a future definitive supply agreement for certified jet fuel from Rentech's proposed synthetic fuels and power facility in Adams County, Mississippi (Natchez Project).

Jindal Group announced plans to develop a coal-to-liquid (CTL) project in Angul, Orissa, India, TopNews Singapore reported July 13.

W2 Energy announced July 22 that it has signed a term sheet with National Coal Corp. (NCC) to form Tennessee Clean Coal, LLC, a company which will initially build a one ton per day pilot plant to convert Tennessee coal into gasoline, ultra low sulfur diesel, JP8 jet fuel and electricity. For Tennessee Clean Coal, W2 will provide all of the technology and all of the financing; NCC will provide the land and the feedstock.

This update includes Rentech's construction in Mississippi to start next year; the US Senate candidate backing CTL projects and the 2010 World CTL Conference in China.

Tata Steel, the largest private sector steel maker in the country, plans to set up a coal-to-liquid converter project in tie-up with South Africa's Sasol Synfuel International.

Syngas has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Vemco Australia subsidiary Vemtec to provide peaking power offtake management and advisory services for a facility featuring 114 megawatt combined-cycle gas-fired capacity, to be located at the Clinton Coal-to-Liquids Project in MEL 3874, South Australia.

The U.S. Department of Energy is weighing an application from DKRW Advanced Fuels LLC of Houston for a loan to help build the proposed $2.7 billion coal-to-gasoline plant.

Tenaska, managing partner for the Taylorville Energy Center (TEC), announced July 26 that the project has been awarded a US$417 million investment tax credit—believed to be the largest ever granted to a single project—under a program jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Treasury Department. Cost savings from the tax credit will be passed through to Illinois electric utility customers under the Illinois Clean Coal Portfolio Standard Law (Clean Coal Law).

North Dakota lawmakers have been presented a proposal for the state’s energy policy for the future, The Dickinson Press reported July 12. The proposal was created by EmPower North Dakota Commission, an organization led by the Commerce Commissioner and includes representatives from the state’s energy sectors. A number of goals were listed in the report, including:

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) August 5 announced the awarding of US$1 billion in Recovery Act funding to the FutureGen Alliance, Ameren Energy Resources, Babcock & Wilcox, and Air Liquide Process & Construction to build "FutureGen 2.0."

Researchers in Texas say they have found a way of cutting the cost of producing gasoline by two thirds, taking advantage of the lowest grade of coal available - one that is abundant beneath the Canadian prairies.

Energy Digital magazine covers a wide range of energy issues and topics. The website allows you to "flip" through the magazine right on your screen.

Biologist and futurist Juan Enriquez talks about the potential of bioenergy. Our current energy sources -- coal, oil, gas -- are ultimately derived from ancient plants -- they're "concentrated sunlight." He asks, Can we learn from that process and accelerate it? Can we get to the point where we grow our own energy as efficiently as we grow wheat? (Less than a month after this talk, his company announced a process to do just that.)

The article overviews the obstacles that are ahead for SaskPower and its energy supply. Outlined in the article are several options for new clean energy alternatives which includes clean coal.

The New Yorker, featured this article written by Evan Osnos over viewing the large amount of capital and research and development that is going into clean energy.

A partnership called PurGen may now pursue permits to erect a $5 billion, 500-megawatt electrical plant under a deal approved unanimously by the city council late Tuesday. The agreement resolves litigation that erupted over development rights to the 106-acre parcel in 2005, when the city tried to condemn the site for a redevelopment plan.

Invensys Operations Management has announced that it has delivered comprehensive simulation and training solutions to the Korea Electric Power Research Institute (KEPRI), South Korea's leading electric power research institute and part of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).The solutions will be implemented at KEPRI's proposed generic-model integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant to be built in Taean, South Korea.

Liberty Resources Limited has secured 9 coal dispositions at Gold Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada and is awaiting the transfer of a further 4 dispositions, providing Liberty with a total of 9,400 hectares. The Gold Lake area surrounds a 6 meter coal intersection in Petroleum Well 06-26-65-20W3, at a depth of 558 meters and a thickness amenable to Underground Coal Gasification (UCG).

World Coal magazine did a feature on World Coal Starts 2010 and reviewed some of the major coal-related projects - NuCoal was included in this list.

An updated information sheet on NuCoal Energy includes coal facts, maps and much more...

The complete South 50 document explains the benefits and opportunities Saskatchewan has for a Coal to Liquids project.

Refill Energy announced that it is completing the requirements to become a FEMA Vendor to assist in the affected areas of the Gulf Coast.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced July 22 the selection of six projects that aim to find ways of converting captured CO2 emissions from industrial sources into useful products such as fuel, plastics, cement and fertilizers. Funded with US$106 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -matched with US$156 million in private cost-share, the selections demonstrate the potential opportunity to use CO2 as an inexpensive raw material that can help reduce CO2 emissions while producing useful by-products.

Carbon Sciences Inc. announced July 27 that the importance and potential of the company’s technology was emphasized by CEO, Byron Elton, in his printed response in The New York Times to an op-ed contribution from Robert Boyce titled, “A Bad Bet on Carbon.”

The Office of Fossil Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has launched a new public website called “Gasifipedia,” a comprehensive online collection of resources to promote better understanding of gasification technology. The Gasifipedia website contains both introductory and in-depth information about gasification fundamentals, supporting technologies, gasification applications, environmental benefits and the status of the latest research and development.

Neil Reynolds, of the Globe and Mail covers a story on Carbon Sciences Inc, a company in Santa Barbara, CA about its breakthrough technology that converts atmospheric carbon dioxide into commercial grade gasoline.

Cougar Energy Limited and a company associated with Australia Petroleum Ltd. have executed a terms sheet for a proposed 50:50 joint venture for the conversion of underground coal gasification (UCG) syngas to methane.

Linc Energy (ASX:LNC) (OTCQX:LNCGY) is pleased to report that the construction of Chinchilla Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) Generator 4 is now complete and the generator is now operational and producing synthesis gas (syngas). - company media release

The federal government has released Rs984.9 million for Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) schemes being undertaken in Block V of Thar and supervised by famous nuclear scientist Dr Samar Mubarakmand.