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Kirk Wants Greater Natural Gas Presence
(IRN) -- Illinois' junior senator says natural gas must be part of the nation's effort to gain independence from foreign oil.

U.S. Sen. Mark S. Kirk (R-Ill.) says with large deposits of natural gas in the Northeast and in Illinois, natural gas should be in the mix, along with alternative energy such as wind and solar power.

"The market is telling us natural gas is by far the lowest-cost new provider of energy per BTU," Kirk said.

Kirk is calling for exploration of the New Albany shale in the Illinois Basin. He says researchers estimate 86 trillion cubic feet of natural gas could be located in the basin, which covers roughly 60,000 square miles in much of Illinois, southwestern Indiana and western Kentucky.

Kirk plans to establish an Energy Advisory Board to advance policies to end dependence on foreign oil and develop American energy. He says he wants to spark conversation about state-of-the-art clean coal projects like FutureGen.

Other things on which Kirk wants to focus:

* Make production tax credits for clean, renewable fuels permanent. Wind tax credits expire in 2012 while solar, hydroelectric, municipal solid waste and geothermal tax credits expire in 2013.

* Eliminate "boutique" fuel policies.

* Explore for oil in the Gulf of Mexico.

(Illinois Radio Network)
04 23 11 by Newsroom
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