§ 13413 — Natural Gas Supply

(a) The Secretary shall conduct a 5-year program, in accordance with sections 13541 and 13542 of this title, to increase the recoverable natural gas resource base including, but not limited to— (1) more intensive recovery of natural gas from discovered conventional resources; (2) the extraction of natural gas from tight gas sands and devonian shales or other unconventional sources; (3) surface gasification of coal; and (4) recovery of methane from biofuels including municipal solid waste. (b) Within 1 year after October 24, 1992, the Secretary shall solicit proposals for conducting activities under this section. (1) The Secretary shall establish and carry out a 5-year program, in accordance with sections 13541 and 13542 of this title, on cofiring natural gas with coal in utility and large industrial boilers in order to determine optimal natural gas injection levels for both environmental and operational benefits. (2) The Secretary shall enter into agreements with, and provide financial assistance to, appropriate parties for application of cofiring technologies to boilers to demonstrate this technology. (3) The Secretary shall, before December 31, 1995, submit to the Congress a report on the progress made in carrying out this subsection. (d) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this section and sections 13414 and 13415 of this title, $29,745,000 for fiscal year 1993 and $45,000,000 for fiscal year 1994.