Mine owners and mine workers are teaming up to back the outlays. Washington's support With California facing electricity shortages and with prices for oil and natural gas unusually high, support for coal appears widespread on Capitol Hill. So has Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., the committee's ranking Democrat. Under President Clinton, the coal industry clashed with the administration over safety and health regulations and environmental standards, and some funding for clean coal was cut. But with Bush in the White House and coal supporters in power on Capitol Hill, coal suddenly is hot.
Critics say clean-coal projects are money wasted.
Defenders say the energy situation would be worse and the nation's air and water would be dirtier without the programs. One of the biggest donors has been Eastern Kentucky coal magnate Larry Addington. The industry's clout was evident last year, when the Architect of the Capitol, the office in charge of the Capitol's physical plant, proposed eliminating coal as a fuel source at the Capitol Power Plant, which provides heating and cooling for Congress, the Supreme Court and other government buildings. The aim was to reduce air pollution in Washington. After McConnell, Byrd and other lawmakers protested, the plan was shelved.