42 U.S.C. § 13413 — Natural gas supply

(a) Program direction. The Secretary must run a 5-year program, following sections 13541 and 13542, to increase the amount of natural gas that can be recovered. This includes, but isn't limited to: (1) recovering more gas from natural gas fields already found; (2) extracting gas from tight gas sands, devonian shale, and other unconventional sources; (3) turning coal into gas at the surface (surface gasification); and (4) recovering methane from biofuels, including municipal solid waste. (b) Proposals. Within 1 year after October 24, 1992, the Secretary had to ask for proposals to carry out this program. (c) Cofiring of natural gas and coal. The Secretary had to run a separate 5-year program, following sections 13541 and 13542, on burning natural gas together with coal in utility and large industrial boilers, to find the best gas injection levels for both environmental and operating benefits. The Secretary must make agreements with, and give money to, appropriate parties to apply this cofiring technology to boilers to demonstrate it. Before December 31, 1995, the Secretary had to report to Congress on progress under this cofiring program. (d) Authorization of appropriations. Congress authorized $29,745,000 for fiscal year 1993 and $45,000,000 for fiscal year 1994 for this section and for sections 13414 and 13415.