42 USC § 15977 - Department of Energy transportation fuels from Illinois basin coal

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s15977"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "42 USC § 15977 - Department of Energy transportation fuels from Illinois basin coal"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
section_number: "15977"
section_name: "Department of Energy transportation fuels from Illinois basin coal"
chapter_number: 149
chapter_name: "NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY AND PROGRAMS"
subchapter_number: "IV"
subchapter_name: "COAL"
part_number: "B"
part_name: "Clean Power Projects"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 109–58, title IV, § 417, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 756.)"
---


# § 15977. Department of Energy transportation fuels from Illinois basin coal

**(a)** **In general** The Secretary shall carry out a program to evaluate the commercial and technical viability of advanced technologies for the production of Fischer-Tropsch transportation fuels, and other transportation fuels, manufactured from Illinois basin coal, including the capital modification of existing facilities and the construction of testing facilities under subsection (b).

**(b)** **Facilities** For the purpose of evaluating the commercial and technical viability of different processes for producing Fischer-Tropsch transportation fuels, and other transportation fuels, from Illinois basin coal, the Secretary shall support the use and capital modification of existing facilities and the construction of new facilities at—

**(1)** Southern Illinois University Coal Research Center;

**(2)** University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research; and

**(3)** Energy Center at Purdue University.

**(c)** **Gasification products test center** In conjunction with the activities described in subsections (a) and (b), the Secretary shall construct a test center to evaluate and confirm liquid and gas products from syngas catalysis in order that the system has an output of at least 500 gallons of Fischer-Tropsch transportation fuel per day in a 24-hour operation.

**(d)** **Milestones**

**(1)** **Selection of processes** August 8, 2005

Not later than 180 days after , the Secretary shall select processes for evaluating the commercial and technical viability of different processes of producing Fischer-Tropsch transportation fuels, and other transportation fuels, from Illinois basin coal.

**(2)** **Agreements** Not later than 1 year after August 8, 2005, the Secretary shall offer to enter into agreements—

**(A)** to carry out the activities described in this section, at the facilities described in subsection (b); and

**(B)** for the capital modifications or construction of the facilities at the locations described in subsection (b).

**(3)** **Evaluations** August 8, 2005

Not later than 3 years after , the Secretary shall begin, at the facilities described in subsection (b), evaluation of the technical and commercial viability of different processes of producing Fischer-Tropsch transportation fuels, and other transportation fuels, from Illinois basin coal.

**(4)** **Construction of facilities**

**(A)** **In general** The Secretary shall construct the facilities described in subsection (b) at the lowest cost practicable.

**(B)** **Grants or agreements** The Secretary may make grants or enter into agreements or contracts with the institutions of higher education described in subsection (b).

**(e)** **Cost sharing** section 16352 of this title

The cost of making grants under this section shall be shared in accordance with .

**(f)** **Authorization of appropriations** There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $85,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2006 through 2010.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 109–58, title IV, § 417, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 756.)