SAU Grant to Provide Technology to Test Lignite as Alternative Energy Source

Ross, Lincoln, Pryor Announce Million Dollar Grant for SAU

Washington – Representative Mike Ross (AR-04) along with U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor announced today that the Lignite Research Center at Southern Arkansas University (SAU) in Magnolia will receive $1 million from the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.  The funds will be used to support construction and purchase of equipment to test lignite - a soft coal - to determine the benefits of mining it for use as an alternative source of energy.

“With Americans facing increased utility costs and being forced to empty their wallet at the gas pumps, it is time to move towards policies that will put us on a path towards energy independence and increased energy security,” said Ross, who hosted a conference last year at SAU to discuss the development of lignite coal in South Arkansas.  “It is essential that we start now to plan for the extraction of lignite coal in South Arkansas and develop the technologies to do so in an environmentally friendly manner that is both affordable and clean.  I firmly believe that the state of Arkansas can be at the forefront in the production of these alternative fuels because of the abundance of raw materials found in our state.”

Ross is also a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee which routinely addresses the nation’s current energy crisis and alternative sources of energy.

“Our nation must focus on a long-term investment strategy in renewable and alternative energy sources,” said Lincoln, who is part of a bipartisan group of Senators working on a comprehensive proposal to reduce gas prices, lessen our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, and strengthen America’s economy. “The funds awarded to SAU will help our state become a leader in testing alternative sources of energy.”

“With today’s rising cost of energy I believe the future will be shaped by our ability to find affordable, safe, and clean sources of power,” said Pryor.  “This grant for SAU is one of the ways we can put federal dollars to good use in South Arkansas and invest in a potentially new form of power for the future.”