Research and Markets Laura Wood Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets .com/reports/ c26426) has announced the addition of Back To Coal: Why Utilities Must Reconsider This Cheap, Plentiful Fuel to their offering.

Energy prices are soaring. Natural gas, in particular, has stopped being the 'cheap, clean bargain' that solved utilities' environmental problems. Instead, soaring natural gas prices have turned it into the No.1 headache for utilities. Poorly thought-out schemes to import liquefied natural gas from OPEC nations aren't going to solve the mounting crisis. Just look at how OPEC is currently manipulating the price of crude oil. There's only one realistic answer, and it's coal.

Coal is cheap and plentiful. It's an ideal utility fuel. And it doesn't have to be 'dirty' or 'polluting' anymore. Back To Coal: Why Utilities Must Reconsider This Cheap, Plentiful Fuel is an up-to- the-minute, highly readable, comprehensive 228-page report that tells you in detail:

- How coal combustion has evolved, detailing many new efficiency improvements

- Why coal gasification is now a realistic contender for electricity generation

- What's emerging in the way of efficient clean-up techniques to solve SOx, NOx and mercury problems

- How gasification-based IGCCs will help utilities be the founders of a hydrogen economy, if they choose

- How we're making progress in CO2 sequestration

- How coal will beat the path to energy independence, long before renewables can hope to contribute

Drawing on interviews and the latest research, Back To Coal covers clean coal efforts worldwide, identifying the principal players and researchers. Concepts like biotech desulfurization and the role of large fuel cells in utility-scale plants are discussed in detail. Further, you'll find understandable explanations of over 15 gasification techniques and 35 stackgas treatment methods to help you make informed decisions about the best clean coal technology for your company.

Coal is coming back, make no mistake about that. About 100 US utilities are considering coal-fired investments, quite seriously. There's a coal-fired building boom in China, and serious research underway in Europe and Japan. Find out why players like AEP and GE are excited about the IGCC process. Find out why the largest US coal producer, Peabody Energy, is entering the generation business.